Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
After a miserable, and visibly painful, start to the 2013 fantasy baseball season, many were starting to lose faith in Los Angeles Angels 1B Albert Pujols.
Pujols hit just eight homers through the first two months of the season. He also has a meager .254/.326/.439 slash line at the moment, which is easily some of the worst numbers he has ever put together.
To his credit, though, Pujols has played hurt all season. He has suffered through an agonizing plantar fasciitis injury in his foot, not to mention a nagging knee injury, and the combination of both injuries has severely hampered his fantasy production all season long. The team has recently allowed him to play as the designated hitter in order to keep the 33-year-old fresh and it has helped put a little spring back into his step.
Pujols probably could have used a couple weeks off, but the four-day rest over the All-Star break seemed to do wonders for the slugger. He has clubbed two home runs in the seven games since the turn and has looked like the Pujols of old.
The Machine apparently tweaked his swing earlier this month and it has caused his fantasy value to skyrocket. He said that he has not felt this comfortable at the plate in years and he seems much more relaxed in the batter’s box. In his last 13 games alone, Pujols has shockingly crushed four home runs with 11 RBIs. The veteran is 16-for-50 over that stretch and has a robust .320 batting average. He is finally producing like an elite fantasy slugger.
This is the time to get ahold of Pujols, because the nine-time All-Star is really starting to heat up.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
