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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is scheduled to miss 4 1/2 months of activity following foot surgery, putting his availability for Opening Day, 2016, in question. Pujols spent the final month as a DH for the Angels due to foot pain, which limited his mobility.
Pujols, who turns 36 in January, had a .244/.307/.480 slash line in 661 plate appearances in 2015. The Angels, who were in the playoff hunt until the final day of the 2015 season, will no doubt be in the market for offensive help this offseason, and if Pujols is absent for any length of time, it will simply exacerbate that need.
The Angels signed Pujols to a 10 year, $240 million contract prior to the 2012 season. The deal was heavily backloaded, with Pujols being owed $165 million from 2016-2021.