Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols returned to the St. Louis Cardinals this season for the final ride of his 22-year MLB career. Pujols was a Cardinals lifer until he signed with the Angels ahead of the 2012 season, and he remains both a popular figure in St. Louis and one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Pujols was in the opening day line-up and although he went 0-5 against the Pirates, the day was memorable because of the warm and emotional welcome he received at Busch Stadium. Back in Busch Tuesday night against the Interstate Royals (KC-STL GameTracker), Pujols has settled into what will likely be his role going forward – the right-handed half of a DH move. In the first inning against left winger Daniel Lynch, Pujols scored for the first time since returning to the Cardinals:
As mentioned above, this is the 680th home run of Pujols’ career. He is currently fifth on the all-time list and now needs 16 more to tie Alex Rodriguez for fourth-most in MLB history. Also, what you saw above is Pujols’ first home run in a Cardinals uniform since Game 3 of the 2011 World Series, when he went deep three times against the Rangers.
Yes, Pujols is 42 and has very limited skills these days, but the bulk of the recent evidence suggests he can still handle left-handers fairly well. DH’s presence in the National League means Pujols can play a pretty important role for the Cardinals this season while also bringing plenty of nostalgia to their fans. Pujols did all of that in one go on Tuesday night.