Cardinals activate slugger Albert Pujols off DL

[July 06, 2011]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Albert Pujols is more than just one of the best players in baseball. He's also an incredibly rapid healer.

The St. Louis Cardinals activated their three-time NL MVP off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left wrist.

Pujols was not in the lineup Tuesday night against Cincinnati. But manager Tony La Russa planned to use him off the bench in some capacity and said he expected Pujols would be in the lineup on Wednesday.

"Thrilled," La Russa said. "We all are. It's about as good a break as we could catch."

The NL Central leaders initially believed Pujols would be out six weeks after getting hurt June 19 in a collision at first base with the Royals' Wilson Betemit. The Cardinals thought Pujols would be back in early August.

Tuesday was the first day Pujols was eligible to return from the DL. He said he'd predicted 15 days would be enough.

"Does it surprise you?" the star first baseman asked. "It doesn't surprise me. A lot of people praying for me and I believe all the prayers are being answered.

"That's a good way to describe it."

Reds manager Dusty Baker said he thought Pujols might be back early.

"I didn't think it was going to take as long as they said originally, knowing Albert," Baker said. "With modern medicine, and he's probably working on it around the clock, no it doesn't really surprise me.

"Somebody else, maybe. But not him."

The team's medical staff cleared Pujols to return earlier in the day. For a final test, Pujols had an active pregame. Clad in shorts, Pujols took his first round of live batting practice from first base coach Dave McKay, and also fielded dozens of grounders at first base, then he had more hitting work indoors.

"He's not in the starting lineup because he hasn't had a rigorous workout and I feel like it would be good for him to get one of those, and then play tomorrow," La Russa said. "I just try to use common sense."

The Cardinals placed left-handed reliever Brian Tallet on the 15-day disabled list with a right ribcage injury that the pitcher said had been hindering him for about a week. Tallet said the source of his injury was a violent sneeze.

"It wasn't anything weird," Tallet said. "I was just kind of laying down with my boy and coughed a couple times and then a big sneeze."

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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