Cardinals star Albert Pujols announces divorce from wife of 22 years
As noted by The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), slugger and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols has been in headlines this spring due to his return to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he first played from 2001 through 2011, and because his wife, Deidre, recently needed brain surgery to remove a tumor first discovered in October.
The three-time National League Most Valuable Player revealed surprising news when he announced Monday that he and Deidre are splitting apart.
"I've been asked a lot of questions over the past few days regarding what's been going on at home and sadly, after 22 years of marriage, I have made the decision to file for divorce from my wife, Deidre," Pujols explained in a statement shared by TMZ Sports.
"As a devout Christian, this is an outcome that I never wanted to see happen," Pujols added. "For many long days and nights, I prayed, asking the Lord for His guidance."
Back in February 2021, Deidre suggested in a social media post that the then-upcoming season would be Pujols' last as an active player, but the 42-year-old ultimately re-signed with St. Louis and, per John Denton of the official MLB website, declared that 2022 will be his final campaign.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol confirmed Monday that Pujols will be his designated hitter for Thursday's Opening Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Assuming Pujols begins the day in the lineup, it will be his 22nd consecutive Opening Day start.
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