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Morneau to Miss Rest of MLB Season
The Minnesota Twins' dwindling playoff chances took another hit this week when it was revealed that All-Star 1B Justin Morneau will be sidelined the rest of the year.
Morneau has been fighting back pain for weeks, but a CT scan along with an MRI on Monday confirmed that he has a crack in his lower back.
The injury shouldn't figure to need surgery. Physicians have informed Morneau to relax the back for the next three month|fall season.
Morneau wounded himself on a headfirst slide into first base on Friday and hasn't yet played since.
Prior to this past week's accident, the powerful 1st baseman had previously been playing with tenderness off and on for quite some time. Consequently, his numbers have suffered greatly; Morneau was batting just .077 in the month of September to drop his season average to .274. Prior to this dip, he was hitting over the .300 mark. Having had only 9 hits over a period of 22 games, it was apparent that something was amiss.
"You could play through the pain if you feel as if you are helping the franchise or doing things to help your colleagues out and victory games," Morneau insisted. "When you go out there and you don't feel as if you are helping your team, that's when you kind of take a step back and go, 'All right, perhaps I'm doing more harm than good.' "
In spite of his troubles lately, Morneau finishes the '09 campaign with 30 HRs and one hundred runs batted in. The home run output is higher than his '08 total of 23.
Michael Cuddyer figures to turn out to be the starting first baseman in Morneau's absence.
Even with the injury, Morneau remains positive about the Twins' chances the rest of the year.
"Hopefully I'll watch the fellows go on a run here and play cheerleader and that is about it," Morneau claimed.
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