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Injury Sidelines Albert Pujols for Rest of Season

Albert Pujols will miss the rest of the Major League Baseball season because of his injured left foot, the Los Angeles Angels announced Monday.

Pujols agreed to sit out for the remainder of the season after the front office and medical staff advised him to avoid rushing back to the Angels’ miserable season.

“It’s not an easy decision, as competitive as I am,” Pujols said at his locker before the Angels opened a series against Cleveland. “But I also understand that we (need) to look beyond the season.”

The slugger has been in walking boot since July 26, when he partially tore his left plantar fascia in Oakland.

Pujols repeatedly said he was looking forward to a return in September, but after he consulted with owner Arte Moreno and general manager Jerry Dipoto he agreed to a hard decision to shut himself down for the season.

“It was a decision of the organization, Arte and Jerry, because I don’t make a decision here,” said Pujols, who had career lows of 17 homers and 64 RBIs this year. “I put my uniform on and get ready to play. They said, ‘This is what’s best for the organization in the long run,’ and they came and brought it to me. And I just told them, ‘Whatever you guys want to do, I’m all for it.’ It’s definitely hard, as I want to be out there, but I also understand that I can’t be selfish and put myself out there.”

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