Pujols went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols knocked in Nolan Arenado in the fourth inning. Playing time has been a bit thin for Pujols lately -- he's appeared in seven games in the last two weeks, going 3-for-21 (.143) in that span. He's posted a .198/.298/.342 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs scored, four doubles and a stolen base in 38 contests. The 42-year-old could see an uptick in playing time while Tyler O'Neill (hamstring) is out, as Juan Yepez is expected to see more time in the field to free up the designated hitter spot for Pujols at least against southpaws.

Pujols is just 4-for-25 (.160) in his last nine games.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols has already seen limited playing time this year, and his current slump isn't doing anything to earn him more starts. The 42-year-old could be in line for a further reduced role with Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) returning Tuesday and Dylan Carson (hamstring) likely not far behind. That could push rookies Juan Yepez and Brendan Donovan into the designated hitter spot more often, as their bats have commanded more playing time than Pujols, who is now slashing. 211/.324/.367 in 31 contests.

Pujols went 2-for-3 with two homers, four RBI and a strikeout in Sunday's 18-4 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols came off the bench during Sunday's matchup, but he had his first multi-homer game of the season while going yard for the first time since April 17. The 42-year-old has had sporadic playing time this month and has hit just .200 with two homers, eight RBI, six runs and a stolen base over 12 games.

Pujols went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base Wednesday in a loss to the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols knocked in the Cardinals' first two runs with a second-inning single, and he followed with another single and a stolen base in the fourth. The unexpected theft was the veteran's first this season -- he was caught in his only other attempt after going 13-for-13 on stolen-base tries over his previous six campaigns. Pujols has knocked in three runs over his past two games after notching only one RBI across his previous 12 contests.

Pujols has gone 2-for-23 in his last nine games.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols began the season with hits in four of his first five contests, but he's only hit safely in two of his last nine. The designated hitter's slump has opened up playing time for prospect Juan Yepez, who has multiple hits in four of his five games since he was called up to the big leagues. Pujols is slashing .220/.319/.390 with two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored in 14 games, and he'll likely only play a part-time role going forward.

Pujols went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols tied the game at 3-3 with his third-inning blast off Brewers starter Aaron Ashby. Playing time has been limited for the right-handed Pujols -- he's mainly seen the short side of a platoon so far, but he's now 5-for-15 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in four games.

Pujols went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols' first hit Tuesday was his first-inning homer, his first long ball in his second stint with the Cardinals. He added a pair of singles and came around to score again in the fourth on an Andrew Knizner three-run shot in the fourth. Pujols isn't expected to receive regular playing time -- he'll mainly see the short side of a platoon with Corey Dickerson as the two veterans share the designated hitter spot.

Pujols is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pujols was deployed as the Cardinals' designated hitter in Thursday's season-opening win, but the starting assignment appeared to be mostly ceremonial while he donned a St. Louis uniform for the first time since the 2011 campaign. He'll now be on the bench for the third game in a row, as manager Oliver Marmol goes with Lars Nootbaar as the team's DH. Pujols' future starting opportunities will likely be limited mostly to left-handed pitching.

Manager Oliver Marmol confirmed Pujols will start at designated hitter in the Cardinals' season opener Thursday against the Pirates, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though the righty-hitting Pujols is expected to fill the short side of a platoon at DH this season and make the occasional start at first base when Paul Goldschmidt needs a day off, the 42-year-old will be in the lineup for the opener even though Pittsburgh is bringing a right-hander (JT Brubaker) to the hill. Marmol's decision to keep Pujols in the lineup is likely just a means of extending his streak to 22 consecutive Opening Day starts while allowing him to soak in the applause from Cardinals fans as he makes his return to St. Louis following a decade-long stint in Los Angeles.

Pujols confirmed Monday that 2022 would be his final season, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

It was far from guaranteed that the 42-year-old would find a major-league deal anywhere this season, as he hasn't been an above-average hitter since 2016, but he wound up landing a one-year deal to return to where it all started in St. Louis. It appears likely that Pujols, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina will all embark on a season-long retirement tour this year. Pujols is 21 homers away from reaching 700, which may have motivated him to come back this season, but he may not play enough to get there. At the pace he's shown over the last five years, it would take him 535 plate appearances to homer 21 times.