Pujols reports, says he won't take it easy

JUPITER, Fla. -- Running may be restricted in the initial weeks of spring training for Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. But Pujols had no plans to take it easy, despite a heel injury that hindered him much of last season.

"I'm going to go out and try to win a job," he said Sunday after reporting to the Cardinals spring training facility at Roger Dean Stadium where pitchers and catchers were working out for the second day.

Position players are due Tuesday but Pujols was early, along with veterans Jim Edmonds and Larry Walker, among others.

Pujols, third in the National League MVP voting last year behind Barry Bonds and Adrian Beltre, suffers from chronic plantar fasciitis, a condition more commonly associated with long-distance running. Pujols is affected most when he runs the bases aggressively, though the injury didn't stop him from racking up impressive stats last year.

While leading the Cards to the National League title, Pujols batted .331 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. He's the only player in major league history to hit 30 or more homers in his first four seasons.

After the season, Pujols underwent sound wave treatment on his left heel. He had been feeling much better in the weeks after the treatment, but reported experiencing trouble again in January and underwent a second treatment.

Pujols doesn't know what started the injury.

"It just started hurting and never stopped," he said.

Does plan to be careful

Though Pujols doesn't plan to take it easy, he does plan to be careful.

"The injury will be in the back of my mind, and I want to be smart about it," said Pujols. "If it comes to the point that I am going through the pain that I went through last season, I don't think I can do it. I'll have to take some time off."

That's something he didn't do last summer when the pain sometimes visibly hobbled him.

"We saw another side of Albert last year," manager Tony La Russa said. "He is working with a guaranteed contract and it could have been easy for him to say, 'Hey, why do I have to be out there?' But Albert wants to win."

The Cards will be concerned about the amount of running Pujols does this spring, and he may sit out some running drills.

"He really likes to run hard because he wants to show people he is hustling all the time," La Russa said. "But now he has to be smart about it. There may be times when he has to gear down a little bit."

Pitchers impressive

* Two pitchers who are coming off injuries from last season, Matt Morris and Chris Carpenter, have been impressive in the early workouts.

La Russa says that Morris is way ahead of schedule.

"We had Matt penciled in to pitch in a game near the end of March, but we have moved that up to mid-March," La Russa said Sunday after seeing Morris pitch off the mound Saturday.

"He looks beautiful," La Russa said. "He looked like the Morris that we fell in love with in '96. ... I'd say he is two or three weeks ahead of schedule. It is really exciting."

Carpenter, who was sidelined with a rare nerve ailment in his throwing arm last September after posting a 15-5 record, threw during batting practice Sunday.

"Chris was one of only two of our pitchers who was ready to throw batting practice so that shows he is on schedule," La Russa said.