ST. LOUIS — Deidre Pujols shared an inspiring and supportive message on Instagram Thursday, the opening day of Major League Baseball.
Her husband, St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols, was set to appear at Busch Stadium in a Cardinals uniform for the first time in years.
The message follows a tumultuous few weeks for the Pujols family. Deidre and Albert announced their divorce on Monday through a statement released to media. They did not cite reasons for the decision, but Albert Pujols expressed gratitude for his five children.
"Despite the most recent surge of media attention about our personal lives, I would never miss out on an opportunity to send love, and blessings to someone who I have spent a majority of my life with and will forever be connected," Deidre said in part of her post on Instagram. "Our children will be there to support him and if I was able I would have also been there to celebrate this special event. However I will be there in spirit and watching from home as I continue my recovery from surgery."
Deidre Pujols announced on March 29 that she was undergoing surgery on a brain tumor that was found in October 2021.
Read the full opening day message she posted on Instagram below.
Albert Pujols started his career as a St. Louis Cardinal in 2001. He played with the World Series-winning 2011 Cardinals before becoming a free agent. He joined the Anaheim Angels (later the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) into May 2021 and was with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the rest of the 2021 season.
In a surprising but fan-pleasing move, Albert Pujols agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals. Pujols announced it would be his final season before retirement.