Deidre Pujols, the wife of St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, announced via Instagram that she would undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor on Wednesday.
"I have delayed this procedure for as long as I could out of fear and inconvenience to my busy life," she wrote, in part. "However, I can wait no longer and with the support of people I love and who care about me I am encouraged to take care of this before it takes my life. I felt compelled to share this private situation with you because it's times like these that make you reflect on the fragility of life and the impact that my life has made in the world."
Albert Pujols told reporters on Wednesday that the surgery was a success.
"But any time you open your scalp and your head, you are always concerned about it," he said. "You trust the doctor that they have that wisdom and that gift. As much as we take swings in the cage, they do surgery."
The tumor was discovered in October. Pujols, who was speaking to reporters from West Palm Beach, Florida, said Deidre's mother and family were with her back in California. Pujols returned to the Cardinals on a one-year, $2.5 million deal after spending his first 11 seasons with the team (2001-11) before stints with the Los Angeles Angels (2012-21) and Dodgers (2021).
Despite his wife's surgery, Pujols played on Wednesday and had a hit in his team's 29-8 blowout win over the Washington Nationals.
"I think about it, but when it's time to lock in, I focus on what I need to do," Pujols said of focusing on Wednesday's game amid his wife's circumstances. "Yes, my thoughts and my prayers are with Didi and my family."
