Angels regain Albert Pujols, Rangers missing Hamilton, Beltre

The Texas Rangers played Wednesday night without middle-of-the-order sluggers Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, who have combined for 75 homers and 216 runs batted in. Hamilton was suffering from vision problems and Beltre from intestinal issues that prevented him from coming to Angel Stadium.

But the Angels had their No. 3 hitter back. Albert Pujols started at first base after missing Tuesday night’s 11-3 win over the Rangers to remain in Missouri with his wife, Deidre, who gave birth to the couple’s fifth child, a daughter named Esther Grace, Sunday at 3:30 a.m. in Kansas City.

Because the baby was born almost three weeks early, doctors kept Deidre and the child in the hospital an extra day for tests and observation, Pujols said.

Both were discharged Tuesday afternoon. Pujols, who played Sunday afternoon’s game in Kansas City on no sleep, drove Deidre and Esther Grace back to their St. Louis home Tuesday night and flew to Orange County on Wednesday morning.

“She was due Oct. 3, but she popped out early,” Pujols said. “I guess whenever they want to come out, they come out. Right after Saturday’s game, Deidre wasn’t feeling too good, so we went to the hospital, and the baby was born in the morning. It’s a blessing. The baby is healthy, beautiful. We’re real excited.”

Though it was difficult for Pujols to miss Tuesday night’s game — he watched the first seven innings on television before falling asleep — he was relieved that the baby was born now instead of Oct. 3, the day of the Angels’ final regular-season game in Seattle, or later.

“It’s kind of good that it happened now,” Pujols said. “It probably would have been more stressful if we were in the middle of the playoffs and I had to miss a game. Right now, I just missed one game. I’m glad everything went well. My wife is good, and I can focus on the games now.”

Century mark

After notching career win No. 100 Tuesday night against Texas, Angels ace Jered Weaver didn’t exactly set his sights on 300 wins, a milestone only 24 pitchers have achieved and one that comes with an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame.

“It’s unbelievable to even fathom 300 wins,” Weaver, 29, said. “The guys who have done it are pretty good. It would be great to match that, but I don’t see that happening. A lot of those guys pitched on three days’ rest, and they pitched for 20 years. I don’t know if my body is going to hold up for 15 or 20 years.”

Weaver improved to 18-4 with a 2.79 earned-run average with his seven-inning, three-run, six-hit effort against Texas, a record that should put him in contention for the American League Cy Young Award. But his focus now is on helping the Angels reach the playoffs.

“It’s great from an individual standpoint,” Weaver said of becoming the sixth Angels pitcher to win 100 games with the club, “but I have a long way to go. It’s an honor to do it in an Angels uniform. I hope these fans get to see 200 more wins. But I’m a team guy. I’m just trying to win games and hope to keep it rolling.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com