St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols out injured as Mark Hamilton brought in – MLB News
St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger Albert Pujols will remain out till early August due to a fracture in the radius bone in the wrist area. Pujols, who left his game on Sunday due to what he thought, was a minor injury but something bigger was in store for him.
"I'm expecting that," he said. "I've healed pretty well from injuries in the past, and I'm praying to hopefully have one of those in my bag still.”
The fact that he has quickly recuperated in the past after the injuries adds to optimism that the Cardinals’ star will make a fast come-back this time round as well. There are suggestions that Mark Hamilton has been called to take in the charge for the team.
Pujols has a .317 average in June with his 63 at-bats, having scored 19 runs with 20 hits to his credit. Having 40 wins to their credit and losing 35, the St. Louis Cardinals stand second in the National League Central Standings, the team undeniably remains
dependent upon the likes of Pujols.
However, as Hamilton has been called, it has sparked hopes in the camp that the conspicuous absence of the star slugger could only be compensated, no matter how inadequate a substitute it might sound, by Hamilton’s presence.
“It's an opportunity for me," Hamilton said. "Unfortunately it came as a big blow to this team. Being a part of this team this year, I'm pulling for these guys whether I'm here or whether I'm in Memphis.”
Even though the Cardinals do not technically recall a player who has been down for less than ten days, the requirement is temporarily withdrawn due to the injury that has taken Pujols away from the team.
Hamilton is long considered to be a reliable player in the three seasons at Triple A’s, having 145 games, a .562 slugging percentage and an impressive average of .317 with a .409 on-base percentage.
Having remained a first baseman throughout his career and shining, he is said to be equally good when it comes to the outfield. It is his ability to play as first baseman that forced the team to recall him.
The dominant presence of Pujols in the Cardinals’ team will be sorely missed as he nurses his injury and tries to get off the disabled list as soon as possible. The team will undoubtedly miss his hitting prowess for the next few weeks.
The Cardinals, even though in a temporary fix, has opted for Hamilton in an understandably difficult decision-making time which will bear a huge bearing on how St. Louis will perform in the days to come.
Tags: