Albert Pujols will be in the starting lineup for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Pirates when he begins his final big league season Thursday in what should be an emotional return to Busch Stadium.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Monday that Pujols, who signed a $2.5 million contract to return to the club where he became a star, will be the designated hitter for his 22nd consecutive Opening Day start. That matches Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski for second most behind only Pete Rose, who made 23 straight during his career.
Later Monday, the 10-time All-Star issued a statement confirming that he had filed for divorce from his wife, Deidre, after 22 years of marriage. Deidre Pujols underwent surgery last week to remove a brain tumor discovered in October, a procedure for which Albert Pujols elected to not attend.