Angels part ways with Pujols in last year of deal

Albert Pujols was cut by the Los Angeles Angels on May 6, abruptly ending the 41-year-old superstar slugger’s decade with his second major league team.

The Angels surprisingly announced the move to designate Pujols for assignment one day after he wasn’t in the lineup for the slumping club’s fourth consecutive loss. The decision was made after Pujols, dissatisfied with irregular playing time, had a late-night meeting with general manager Perry Minasian and team president John Carpino.

Pujols, who is batting .198 this season, is determined to play first base regularly for another team after he clears waivers, Angels manager Joe Maddon said. Pujols is fifth in major league history with 667 career homers and 13th with 3,253 hits.

College football

TEXAS LB FOUND DEAD>> Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger, the younger brother of former Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found dead near campus May 6, Austin police said.

Officers found the 20-year-old Ehlinger after responding to a call at 12:18 p.m. Police did not detail how they found him but said the death is not considered suspicious. No cause of death was immediately released.

Jake Ehlinger had not played the last two seasons after arriving as a walkon from Austin’s Westlake High School.

Boxing

MAYWEATHER EXHIBITION >> A month before he returns to the ring at age 44 for an exhibition bout, Floyd Mayweather wound up in a brawl. The boxing Hall of Famer will face Logan Paul in a pay-perview event on June 6 at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. On May 6, he squared off — sort of — with Paul’s brother, Jake, who prompted the scuffle when he took Mayweather’s cap.

NHL

RANGERS FINED >> The New York Rangers in less than 72 hours lost their best player to injury, fired their president and general manager, and had another player suspended. They are also out a quarter-million dollars in the aftermath of the storied franchise’s latest chaotic chapter. The NHL fined the Rangers an extraordinary $250,000 for what Commissioner Gary Bettman called demeaning personal comments made publicly about head of player safety George Parros.

Olympics

VACCINES DONATED >> Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, the IOC said. Delivery of doses is set to begin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinated with a second shot before arriving in Tokyo for the games, which open on July 23.

NO OLYMPICS PETITION >> An online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be canceled has gained tens of thousands of signatures since being launched in Japan only days ago. The rollout of the petition comes with Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas under a state of emergency with coronavirus infections rising — particularly new variants.

NFL STEELERS’ LAYNE REACHES PLEA DEAL >>

Steelers cornerback Justin Layne reached a plea deal to resolve charges stemming from a traffic stop in Willoughby Hills last month where authorities said they found a loaded gun in his car. Layne, 23, was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle following the April 23 stop in Willoughby Hills. That charge was dropped when he pleaded guilty May 5 in Willoughby Municipal Court to a misdemeanor charge of possessing criminal tools and two traffic violations. Layne received a suspended 180-day jail sentence, must serve six months probation and perform 32 hours of community service.