9 passes for 251 yards, with one interception and two touchdowns. The Illini host Michigan State this week.O

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels Tyler Skaggs and the Houston Astros Collin McHugh are the scheduled starters for Saturdays game, but more notable is who wont be there.The Angels made it official Friday when they shut down Albert Pujols for the rest of the season. He will wind up missing the final five games because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, something that has bothered him for the past month.Many criticized the Angels for signing Pujols to a 10-year contract prior to the 2012 season, knowing Pujols would be 41 by the end of the contract. Injuries would surely slow him down, it was said.And while Pujols has suffered a number of injuries primarily to his legs and feet since joining the Angels, he has managed to stay in the lineup and put up numbers. He is exactly halfway through his contract at five years, and has played in at least 152 games in four of them, including this season.He has hit 28 home runs or more in four of the five seasons, including 40 as recently as last year. And his 119 RBI this season were the most since he had 135 in 2009 with the Cardinals, when he won the last of his three MVP awards.And while Angels manager Mike Scioscia has made Pujols more of a designated hitter than first baseman in order to keep him off his feet as much as possible and keep him healthy, Pujols said Friday he wants that to change.Im going to be ready to play first base, Pujols told reporters Friday. Hopefully Ill get to train the way I want and Ill come back as a first baseman. I want to get back on the field.Pujols accepted Scioscias decision to DH him this season -- he started 28 games at first base and 123 as the DH -- but it wasnt like he loved it.It was all right, he said. (But) Im not going to be doing that next year.That, of course, is up to Scioscia, who wasnt willing to make any decisions just yet.Were a better team when he plays first base, Scioscia said. Hes a terrific first baseman, but not at the expense of losing what he needs to do in the batters box.The Astros George Springer will be in the lineup Saturday as Astros manager A.J. Hinch wants to give his right fielder the opportunity to play in all 162 games. No Astro has played in all 162 since Carlos Lee in 2007.Springer also is one home run away from 30 for the season, and second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa are four RBI shy of 100.With the club eliminated from playoff contention, those individual milestones are something Hinch is paying attention to.Theres a couple of guys that are chasing some individual plateaus that are important to them, and if its important to them, its important to me, Hinch said. A hundred RBI for Altuve and Correa would be a great cap to their personal seasons. George is one homer shy of 30 and hes played in (160). So Ill pay attention to a little bit of that.Houston Astros Shirts . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Derek Bell Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. https://www.cheapastros.com/883o-carlos-beltran-jersey-astros.html . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Chris Devenski Jersey .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Jeff Bagwell Jersey . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15.Indiana coach Kevin Wilson knows the topic of bowl eligibility will come up this time of year. In a program thats had little to modest success, reaching that six-win threshold has become the symbol of a successful season.Last year was a breakthrough, with the Hoosiers making a bowl for the first time since 2007. They need two more wins to be eligible this season, and they have a real chance with Rutgers and Purdue still on the schedule.Wilson said Tuesday he met with his players to tell them to ignore the bowl speculation on social media and on the street. He said its never been his staffs goal to be a team that just goes to a bowl.Wed like to have more than that, he said. If you get enough victories you get bowl eligible, and if you get a lot of victories you get bigger and better bowls. The guys know the process.Six Big Ten teams already are bowl eligible. Iowa and Maryland each need one more win, and Northwestern joins Indiana in needing two more victories. The Big Ten had 10 bowl teams last year.Minnesota got its sixth win last week and is among four teams tied for second in the Big Ten West, one game behind Nebraska. The Gophers were among the five-win teams that played in bowls last year because there werent enough six-win teams to fill all the slots.The bowl thing is all about consistency, Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys said. It does show youre consistent, and I do think thats the most important thing. We dont want to be a program thats up and down. We want to be consistent each year.But as far as a big celebration... we have bigger goals than that right now. If we reach those goals, were going to be bowl eligible anyway, so we really havent talked about being bowl eligible.Other notes from the Big Ten coaches teleconference:THE BOOK ON BOOKEROhio State linebacker Dante Booker hasnt playeed since spraining a knee in the opener against Bowling Green even though he was medically cleared two weeks ago.dddddddddddd Booker was 2013 Mr. Ohio Football, a five-star recruit and a big contributor as a freshman and sophomore. Coach Urban Meyer gave no indication when Booker would play.Im not sure hes 100 percent yet, Meyer said. Hes medical cleared but hes not 100 percent.WAITING ON WESIllinois coach Lovie Smith remains uncertain of the status of quarterback Wes Lunt, who hasnt played since hurting his back against Purdue on Oct. 8.Were hopeful we can get him back out there as soon as possible, Smith said. If not, well go the way weve been going.Jeff George Jr. has started the last two games, completing a combined 20 of 49 passes for 251 yards, with one interception and two touchdowns. The Illini host Michigan State this week.OVERCOMING MENTAL BLOCKGerad Parker likes how Purdue has played in the first halves of his two games as interim coach. The Boilermakers led Nebraska 14-10 at half and were tied 17-17 with Penn State. They went on to lose both games.Parker said his biggest task is getting his players to truly believe they can win after so much losing in recent years.There have been a lot of bad feelings and bad results on the football field, Parker said, adding that the losing becomes very heavy on your shoulders as players, coaches and everybody.Its my job to make sure these guys are still having fun playing a kids game and get them to believe in something bigger than themselves and that they can have great things happen to them, he said. And then those things will sooner or later begin to happen.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '