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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols had surgery on his right foot Friday, possibly sidelining him past Opening Day.Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Pujols had the procedure Friday in North Carolina to release his plantar fascia, the ligament connecting the heel to the toes. The three-time National League MVP was bothered by plantar fasciitis repeatedly during the season but played through the pain in arguably the strongest year of his half-decade with the Angels.Eppler said the surgery typically prevents players from participating in baseball activities for three months, along with another month before theyre ready to resume playing in games. Opening Day for Los Angeles is April 3, and the Angels hope Pujols can be ready.Hes at that point in his career where hes keenly aware of whats happening with his body, Eppler said in a phone interview. I dont put the timetable on Albert like you would with your younger players. Well just see in Alberts case, as he progresses, what his timetable is.Pujols, who turns 37 next month, batted .268 last season with 31 homers and 119 RBIs, the fourth-most in the majors -- although his .780 OPS was among the worst of his career. He largely served as a designated hitter instead of playing first base because of problems with his hamstrings and feet.Pujols heads into 2017 with 591 career homers, ranking him ninth in major league history. He is 18 homers behind Sammy Sosa for eighth place.After playing in pain until the final week of the Angels disappointing season, Pujols began shock wave therapy on his foot early in the offseason, believing he wouldnt need surgery.But Pujols foot became more painful in recent weeks despite the therapy, and he huddled with the Angels top brass to decide on surgery after his most recent trip to see Dr. Robert Anderson in North Carolina. Continuing with conservative care would have required 10 more weeks, forcing Pujols to miss the first half of the 2017 season if he still required surgery.He just felt that the pain had gotten to a point where he was comfortable having surgery, Eppler said. If we did delay it, youre just looking at 2 1/2 more months into the season.Pujols had a different type of surgery on his right foot last winter but recovered in time for Opening Day. He also had plantar fasciitis in his left foot during the 2013 season, eventually forcing him out for the year when his fascia snapped.Pujols has five years and $140 million remaining on the 10-year, $240 million free-agent contract that pried him out of St. Louis, where he won two World Series and became a nine-time NL All-Star.The Angels havent won a playoff game since Pujols arrival and Mike Trouts concurrent emergence as one of baseballs best players. 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The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2.TORONTO -- For the second time in as many games, a big fourth quarter saved the day for Canada. While Brady Heslip broke the game open in Thursdays victory over Jamaica, Andy Rautins got in on the action Saturday, scoring eight of his 11 points in the final quarter. Rautins came up big as Canada stormed back from a 17-point deficit to defeat Jamaica 77-72 and complete a sweep of the Jack Donohue International Classic. "As a leader on the team, as an older veteran a guy on the team, thats the role I need to play," Rautins said. "To bring that energy, to bring that shooting. Thats what we did tonight and we gutted it out and got a great win." Desperate for scoring in the fourth quarter, head coach Jay Triano paired Rautins with Brady Heslip in hopes of stretching the floor with two shooters in the lineup. It paid off. "Andys a scorer and we needed points," Triano said. "We had planned before this game on not playing him in the first half, we needed to look at other guys, but in the second half we knew that if they played zone wed need those two guys." Playing without Samardo Samuels, who missed the game with a tweaked hamstring, Jamaica looked like a different team than Thursdays iteration. The visitors connected from beyond the arc early and exposed Canadas lack of shooters on the floor. Leading 26-25 after the opening quarter, Jamaica stretched its lead to 49-37 at the half after making eight of 11 attempts from deep before halftime. "I give them a lot of credit, they shot the ball extremely welll in the first half," Triano said.dddddddddddd "Our defence held them to nine 1/8points 3/8 in the fourth quarter. We clamped down at the end when we had to and thats what were trying to do, we just need to do it from the beginning of the game." Veterans Levon Kendall and Jermaine Anderson helped Canada trim the deficit to nine at the end of three quarters. Thompson, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was named player of the game, scored his 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting. He also had 10 rebounds. "Its huge," Rautins said of Thompsons impact. "Offensive rebounding is huge for him. Its what he does. He makes a lot of money doing that. Were going to need him to do that for us game in and game out. Hes done a great job of improving his hook game. Even switching to his right hand, hes still knocking down shots." The game was intense from the opening tip and players let the officials know their thoughts on the non-calls as the game wore on. While it is an adjustment for NBA players like Thompson, Cory Joseph and Andrew Nicholson to get used to the officiating in the international game, veterans with experience abroad spent their time on the sidelines encouraging their teammates from the bench. "Having played in the NBA, having played overseas, its like a different world," Rautins explained. "The international game, its like another world. Its almost like a rugby match out there." Patrick Ewing Jr. led the way for Jamaica, scoring a game-high 20 points in the loss. ' ' '