Pujols' bat is just fine

Albert Pujols sent shockwaves through Missouri when he revealed he had a shredded ligament in his right (throwing) elbow, and he's been just dealing with it ever since.

Luckily he's playing first base, a position that doesn't deal with throwing very often. And now he can't play anywhere else.

“This is not a curable problem without reconstruction, team doctor George Paletta told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “What we hope is this is a manageable problem. We’ve been managing this problem since 2003. … But there may come a time when it’s not manageable anymore. And if it’s not manageable, the best answer for Albert, long-term, is having reconstruction done.”

The injury could affect his fantasy baseball value and be ruinous for the Cardinals, of course, because, as Pujols said: “If it blows out, it's going to blow out. You can't control that."

But he has five homers this spring, and if Pujols is healthy, he and Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan, and Troy Glaus could be a very potent combination.

Other storylines in Cardinals camp:

• That lineup could have been even stronger if Juan Gonzalez hadn't suffered an abdominal injury in his comeback attempt, and it's not looking like he'll make the team.
• Kyle Lohse hadn't signed when spring training began, but he didn't just sit at home and wait for a call. He created his own spring training camp, and he's now likely to open the season in the Cardinals' rotation.
• Cesar Izturis is the starting shortstop, but Brendan Ryan is almost certainly the superior hitter at the position. But he got into manager Tony La Russa's doghouse for swinging at a 3-0 pitch last season and was benched mid-game for it.

Photo: Albert Pujols has five homers this spring despite a lingering ligament tear in his right elbow. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

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