Albert Pujols to Undergo Surgery to Repair Elbow Injury

Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols has already been ruled out for the rest of the 2018 MLB season, and he's going to go under the knife once again.

Pujols is set to have surgery on his right elbow to remove a bone spur, the Los Angeles Times' Mike DiGiovanna reported Monday.

Pujols had surgery on his left knee in August, which ruled him out for the rest of the year. DiGiovanna noted the elbow procedure is likely to require a recovery time of four to six weeks, which is equal to the time the knee surgery would keep Pujols on the shelf.

The 10-time All-Star first baseman said his focus is firmly on getting ready for the 2019 campaign.

"I'm not going to play the rest of the season, so I might as well take care of the little things for next year," Pujols said, per DiGiovanna. "With physical therapy and a good offseason, everything should be back in the right place next year."

Pujols finished this season batting .245 with a paltry .289 on-base percentage, which was the second-worst of his career.

He's still signed through 2021 and will collect $87 million from the Angels over the remainder of his deal. Because of that, Los Angeles is basically stuck for the most part. Trading him is a nonstarter because nobody will want to absorb his contract, and his massive salary makes it difficult to put him on the bench.

The Angels' best hope is that the multiple surgeries can help get Pujols healthy and back to being a more productive presence at the plate.