Albert Pujols, Cardinals of St. Louis. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
It’s opening day for the St. Louis Cardinals as they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates and starting pitcher JT Brubaker. Albert Pujols returns.
A familiar face in Albert Pujols will officially return, batting fifth in the Cardinals’ lineup.
St. Louis signed Pujols as a bencher and likely left-hander hitter, which he hit quite well, although the rest of his numbers deteriorate over time.
Some St. Louis sports fans didn’t like the idea of bringing back Pujols, instead thinking that the Cardinals could have spent that money improving their pitching staff. Here’s what the team’s official Twitter account had to say about it:
“If you have a complaint about today’s lineup, no you don’t.”
So much for that.
St. Louis Cardinals opening day lineup: Albert Pujols returns
The Cardinals roster was leaked in spring training due to some final adjustments before opening day, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pujols finishes fifth.
With that in mind, here’s the full group:
- Dylan Carlson
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Tyler O’Neill
- Nolan Arenado
- Albert Pujols
- Paul DeJong
- Jadier Molina
- Harrison Bader
- Tommy Edman
While the lineup is sometimes a behemoth, the Cardinals’ real problem is pitching. Jack Flaherty will start the season, which means a lot will fall on Adam Wainwright and Steven Matz.
Oli Marmol will also be tested right away. His bullpen management in April and May while this team is still getting their feet wet will be key.
https://fansided.com/2022/04/07/cardinals-opening-day-lineup-albert-pujols-back/ St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day Lineup: Albert Pujol’s Return