Angels’ Pujols expected to be ready for spring training

The Los Angeles Angels are expecting Albert Pujols to be ready for the start of spring training, general manager Billy Eppler told MLB.com on Friday.Pujols underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee in late August.”Albert is progressing well,” Eppler said. “He’s been hitting and increasing his weight training. He’s been hitting for a while now. Based on that, we’re very optimistic that the next stage for him is when we get out on the field and start moving around a little bit more, and then incorporating at-bats in games and how he responds.”Angels position players are slated to report to camp in Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 17. The first full-squad workouts are the following day.Pujols batted .245 with 19 homers and 64 RBIs in 117 games last season, his seventh campaign with the Angels.Pujols, who turned 39 on Jan. 16, stands sixth in major league history with 633 career homers. He also has 3,082 hits and 1,982 RBIs during 18 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2001-11) and Angels.The 10-time All-Star has three seasons remaining on a 10-year, $240 million deal.Pujols is slated to split time at first base and designated hitter this season. How soon Shohei Ohtani (elbow) returns to play designated hitter will partly determine how much action Pujols sees in the field. Ohtani won’t be ready for the start of the season.