| The Minnesota Twins' dwindling playoff hopes took | | | | the .300 figure. Having gotten only 9 hits over a |
| another hit this week when it was announced that | | | | span of 22 games, it was obvious that something |
| All-Star 1st baseman Justin Morneau will miss the | | | | was wrong. |
| rest of the season. | | | | "You could play through the pain if you feel like |
| Morneau has been dealing with back pain for | | | | you're helping the franchise or doing things to help |
| weeks, but a CT scan and an MRI on Monday | | | | your colleagues out and win games," Morneau said. |
| confirmed that he has a stress fracture in his | | | | "When you play and you do not feel like you are |
| lower back. | | | | helping everyone, that is when you kind of take a |
| The condition does not figure to need surgery. | | | | step back and say, 'All right, perhaps I am doing |
| Physicians have told Morneau to rest his back for | | | | more damage than good.' " |
| the coming three month|fall season. | | | | Despite his troubles lately, Morneau ends the '09 |
| Morneau wounded himself on a diving slide into 1st | | | | season with 30 homers and 100 RBIs. The home |
| base on Friday and hasn't yet played since. | | | | run output is higher than his '08 total of 23. |
| Prior to this past week's injury, the slugging 1st | | | | Michael Cuddyer figures to turn into the starting |
| baseman had already been playing with | | | | first baseman in Morneau's absence. |
| tenderness off and on for a fair amount of time. | | | | In spite of the condition, Morneau is still positive |
| Accordingly, his performance has suffered | | | | regarding the Twins' chances the rest of the year. |
| mightily; Morneau was hitting just .077 in | | | | "Hopefully I'll see the boys go on a run here and |
| September to descend his 2009 batting average | | | | play cheerleader and that's," Morneau said. |
| to .274. Before this slump, he was batting over | | | | |