Pujols in Splint with Fractured Forearm; Won't Play For 4 to 6 Weeks

Damn! Right after the Cardinals ended a seven-game slide by winning two in a row, the team announced today that Albert Pujols will miss four to six weeks with a fractured forearm.

The first baseman suffered the injury to his left arm in yesterday's 5-4 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals. Pujols was trying to apply a tag when he collided with baserunner Wilson Betemit in the sixth inning, causing Pujols to leave the game.

For the Cardinals, the injury would seem to jeopardize their precarious hold on first place in the NL Central. Moreover, Pujols' setback is just the latest in a season marred with injuries to David Freese, Matt Holliday, Theriot and even manager Tony La Russa (shingles).

Personally for Pujols, the injury guarantees that he will miss the All-Star Game, for which he leads every player in votes. It also runs the risk of damaging a swing that's recently returned to form after an extremely slow start to the season.

The bigger -- and costlier -- impact could be on what the injury does to Pujols' on-field value. The slugger becomes a free agent at the end of the season and hopes to become the highest-paid player in baseball.