MINNEAPOLIS -- Just when Justin Morneau thought he was over
all his bad luck, he got hit in the head by a pitch.
And though the CT scan he had in Seattle on Thursday was clear
of any damage, Morneau was still hurting three days later. The
Minnesota Twins decided to keep him on the bench for at least
another three days, and he'll be re-evaluated before Tuesday
night's game against the Detroit Tigers.
Morneau did some swinging in the batting cage before Saturday
night's game against the Chicago White Sox, but his headache
persisted. He won't do anything baseball-related until Tuesday and
will just ice his head and get some rest.
"I feel all right, but it's just that every time I swing it's
just like a throbbing," Morneau said, motioning to the right side
of his head where he was hit by the Mariners left-hander Ron
Villone.
The large welt that developed after the beaning had shrunk
considerably by Saturday afternoon as Morneau discussed his latest
malady in the clubhouse. This, remember, is the guy who fought off
appendicitis, chicken pox, pleurisy and pneumonia over the winter.
So what's next?
"Hopefully there is no next," he said, turning to rap his fist
against the wooden stall.
Morneau, who turns 24 next month, hit 19 home runs in just 280
at-bats last year after taking over at first base for Doug
Mientkiewicz. The Twins are eager to bat him cleanup for an entire
season, confident that he can break their string of 17 seasons
without a 30-home run hitter.
But it's been a frustrating start to the spring for Morneau,
whose progress was delayed as he regained strength lost during all
those illnesses.
"It's one of those freak things," Morneau said.
Manager Ron Gardenhire isn't going to take any chances with his
young slugger.
"It's very scary," Gardenhire said.
Morneau, a native of British Columbia, has had four concussions.
This one isn't as bad as the one he got playing hockey as a kid, he
said, when he was kicked in the head by a skate.
Both his batting helmet and his head showed seam marks from the
baseball, but the helmet certainly prevented something much more
serious.
"If this was 1920, I'd probably be dead," Morneau said,
referring to an era when players didn't wear helmets.