Justin Morneau Sent to DL

Added on Jun 15, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

The nightmare season for the Minnesota Twins just won’t end. Struggling first baseman Justin Morneau has been shipped to the disabled list with a strained left wrist. The injury has been bothering him for over a week, so much so that he was administered a cortisone shot on Sunday. The wrist will be placed in a soft cast for ten days before being reevaluated by team doctors.

Morneau is a tough guy who battled through a neck issue earlier this season, but even he knew it was time to take a seat on the bench.

“If I’m able to play the way I want to play and the way everybody expects me to play that’s one thing, but I’m in pain and being, I wouldn’t say useless but not very good, I don’t think that does anyone on the team any good.”

Morneau is off to a terrible start in 2011, hitting .225 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 55 games. Statistically speaking, he hasn’t been this bad since 2005 when he batted .239 and drove in 79 runs in 141 games.

The 2006 AL MVP has endured a difficult stretch over the last few years. A stress fracture late in 2009 prevented him from participating in the playoffs. In 2010, he missed half the campaign after suffering a concussion in early July. His expectations for a bounce back season have now been derailed by the wrist. This marks his third trip in as many seasons to the disabled list.

The Twins injury woes have contributed greatly to their failures on the field. Joe Mauer, Joe Nathan, Jim Thome and Jason Kubel are just some of the key players currently waiting to return to full health. Mauer, who has been sidelined for two months with leg problems, could be back as early as this weekend.

For all their troubles, Minnesota has managed to climb out of the league cellar in the last two weeks. They’ve won eight of their last ten and are no longer the worst team in baseball, although they still remain ten games behind Detroit in the AL Central.

Source: ESPN.com