Angels place Pujols on DL with left knee inflammation
Los Angeles Angels first baseman/designated hitter Albert Pujols was placed on the 10-day disabled list with left knee inflammation, the team announced Friday.
In a corresponding roster move, the Angels recalled infielder Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Manager Mike Scioscia told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic that Pujols received a PRP injection in his knee, and added that he expects the 38-year-old won't be sidelined for an extended period.
It's not clear how Pujols suffered the injury, though he did miss a couple of contests in June due to left knee soreness. He didn't appear to be ailing on Thursday night, when he went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs in the Angels' 11-2 victory over Seattle.
Pujols has appeared in 86 of the Angels' 94 games to date in 2018, playing 48 games at first base and another 38 at DH. He's hitting just .251/.291/.432 with 16 homers, 15 doubles, and 52 strikeouts, a far cry from his dominant past as a perennial MVP candidate.
The future Hall of Famer has nevertheless experienced plenty of milestone moments this season. He's become a member of the prestigious 3,000-hit club, passed fellow St. Louis Cardinals icon Stan Musial on baseball's career RBI list, and on Thursday hit his 630th career homer to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place all time.
Pujols is now the 13th Angels player to currently reside on the disabled list.