Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols returned to the St. Louis Cardinals this season for what figures to be the final ride of his 22-year MLB career. Pujols was a Cardinals lifer until he signed with the Angels prior to the 2012 season, and he remains both a beloved figure in St. Louis and one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Pujols was in the Opening Day lineup, and although he went 0 for 5 against the Pirates, the day was memorable for the warm and emotional reception he received at Busch Stadium. Back at Busch Tuesday night against the cross-state Royals, Pujols settled into what's likely to be his role moving forward -- the right-handed half of a DH platoon. In the first inning against lefty Daniel Lynch, Pujols homered for the first time since his return to the Cardinals:
As noted above, that's the 680th home run of Pujols' career. He's presently fifth on the all-time list and now needs 16 more to tie Alex Rodriguez for the fourth most in MLB history. What you saw above is also 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 years old and of very limited skills these days, but the bulk of recent evidence suggests he can still handle left-handed pitching fairly well. The presence of the DH in the National League means Pujols can fill a pretty important role for the Cardinals this season while also providing their fans with plenty of nostalgia. On Tuesday night, Pujols did all of that with one swing.
