St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has filed for divorce from his wife, Deidre, days after she underwent a procedure to remove a brain tumor.
“I realize this is not the most opportune time with Opening Day approaching and other family events that have recently taken place,” Albert Pujols said in a statement shared by his agent Mark Feinsand via Twitter. “These situations are never easy and isn’t something that just happened overnight.”
The statement was released hours after Deidre Pujols praised doctors who “who saved my life and cared for me after such a major surgery” alongside a brain scan in an Instagram
Pujols said he found out that his wife's operation was successful after receiving a text during the Cardinals' spring training game last week and thanked fans for their well wishes, but confirmed he planned to stay with the team rather than travel back to California to be with her, the Associated Press reported at the time.
The couple wed on January 1, 2000, and have five children, including Deidre's daughter from a previous relationship.
“I am thankful for the five beautiful children that we brought into this world and remain committed to raising them in a loving and safe environment,” Pujols said in his statement on Monday.
Last week, Pujols agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Cardinals, returning to the franchise after a decade-long absence, ESPN reported.
The deal allows the 42-year-old slugger to spend the likely final year of his Hall of Fame career with the team in which he started it and achieved his greatest success.
Pujols made his Major League Baseball debut with the Cardinals in 2001 and spent 11 seasons with the franchise, which included winning two World Series championships (2006, 2011), three National League MVP awards (2005, 2008, 2009), six Silver Slugger Awards (2001, 2003, 2004, 2008-2010) and the NL Rookie of the Year Award (2001), as well as making nine of his 10 career All-Star Game appearances and one of his two Gold Glove Awards (2006).
The Santo Domingo native signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels after rejecting a 10-year, $210 million contract offer from St. Louis.
Pujols spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recording a .254 batting average, 12 home runs, and 38 RBI in 189 at-bats.
The 42-year-old enters the 2022 season with a .297 career batting average, 679 home runs, 3,301 hits, and 2,150 RBI in 21 MLB seasons.
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