that Pujols had "flourished beyond expectations, scorching lefties for a .306 batting average". Overall, in 2021 he appeared in 85 games for the Dodgers and hit .254 with a .299 on base percentage, 12 homers, and 38 RBIs. For the second season in a row, he had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players, at 22.4 feet/second. His line drive percentage of 15.4% was the lowest in the major leagues, and his 16.7% of balls hit to the opposite field was the lowest in the majors. He was the oldest player in the league for the second season in a row, and had the fifth-highest salary at $30 million. In his first postseason appearance since 2014, he appeared in nine games for the Dodgers, with five hits in 18 at bats for a batting average of .278. Pujols subsequently announced that he would play in the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) in the offseason, for Leones del Escogido. Return to St. Louis (2022) On March 28, 2022, Pujols signed a one-year contract to return to the St. Louis Cardinals and announced that 2022 would be his final season. He said, "There were a lot of teams interested. It took 12 hours, maybe even less, to get a deal done once we received a call from the Cardinals," adding: "We have the best fans in baseball. It feels like I never left." He was the oldest player in the major leagues for the third season in a row. On May 15, Pujols made his pitching debut, the oldest player to do so since 1929. In a 15–6 blowout win against the San Francisco Giants, he gave up two home runs and four earned runs in the ninth inning. On June 4 against the Chicago Cubs, he became the 10th major league player to play 3,000 games, appearing as an injury replacement for Corey Dickerson. On June 7 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Pujols singled for his 3,320th career hit, passing Paul Molitor for tenth all-time in hits. On July 10, after the Philadelphia Phillies had shut out the Cardinals in three straight games, Pujols made a rare start against a right-handed pitcher, and his three hits, including a home run, helped spark a 4–3 win. The home run was Pujols' 1,377th extra-base hit, tying him for third all-time with Stan Musial. Pujols was chosen to be on the