Pujols to start at DH in Cardinals’ opener
Albert Pujols will be in the starting lineup for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Pirates when he begins his final big league season Thursday in what should be an emotional return to Busch Stadium.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Monday that the 42-year-old Pujols, who signed a $2.5 million contract to return to the club where he became a star, will be the designated hitter for his 22nd consecutive opening day start. That matches Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski for secondmost behind only Pete Rose, who made 23 straight during his career.
In other Cardinals news, Gold Glove-winning outfielder Harrison Bader avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $10.4 million, two-year contract. Bader, 27, gets a $1 million signing bonus as part of the deal announced Sunday and salaries of $4.7 million in each of the next two seasons. Bader had bests of a .267 average, 16 homers and 50 RBIS in 103 games with St. Louis last season.
■ Mariners: Top prospect Julio Rodríguez will be on Seattle’s opening day roster, manager
Scott Servais announced. Entering Monday’s spring training game, Rodríguez, a 21-year-old center fielder, was hitting .419 with three home runs, eight RBIS and a 1.310 OPS this spring.
■ Yankees: New York acquired right-hander David Mckay from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash. Mckay, 27, had a 6.08 ERA and no record over the 2019 and 2020 seasons with Seattle and Detroit. He signed with the Rays last month.
■ Tigers: Detroit acquired outfielder Austin Meadows in a trade with the Rays. Detroit sent infielder Isaac Paredes and a competitive balance round B pick in the 2022 amateur draft to Tampa Bay for Meadows, 26,who hit .234 with 27 homers and a career-high 106 RBIS last season.
■ Rockies: Colorado selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Ty Blach. The 31-year-old Blach posted a 4.00 ERA over five appearances this spring. The Rockies also moved right-hander Peter Lambert, 24, to the injured list with inflammation in his forearm and placed lefty Ryan Rolison. 24, on the 60-day injured list due to a strained shoulder.
■ Obit: Tommy Davis, a twotime National League batting champion who won three World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, died Sunday night in Phoenix, the Dodgers announced without providing a cause. He was 83.
Besides his eight years with the Dodgers, with whom he won World Series titles in 1959, ’63 and ’65, Davis played another 10 years for nine teams. The three-time Allstar retired in 1976 with a career .294 average, with 153 home runs and 1,052 RBIS.
■ Tribute: All major league players, managers, coaches and umpires will wear Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 in Dodger blue for the first time on April 15, the 75th anniversary of his breaking the major league color barrier.
Major League Baseball retired Robinson’s number in 1997 and all uniformed personnel have worn 42 on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.