The first baseman, Albert Pujols, announced Monday that he and his wife Deidre would be divorcing only a few days after she underwent brain surgery to remove a brain tumor. In a statement released by his agent, Pujols said, "I’ve been asked a lot of questions over the past few days regarding what’s been going on at home and sadly, after 22 years of marriage, I have made the decision to file for divorce from my wife, Deidre."

This season Pujols will return to the St. Louis Cardinals after playing with the Los Angeles Angels since 2012.

"I realize this is not the most opportune time with Opening Day approaching and other family events that have recently taken place. These situations are never easy and isn’t something that just happened overnight," Pujols said about the divorce.

Deirdre and Albert have been married since 2000. Pujols finished his statement by saying he and Deirdre are still committed to raising their five children “in a loving and safe environment.”

“I am thankful for the five beautiful children that we brought into this world and remain committed to raising them in a loving and safe environment. I ask that you please respect our privacy and the privacy of our five children during this time.”

Condolences to Deidre for having to go through two incredibly tough battles. We'll see how this affects Pujols this season with the Cardinals.