Justin Morneau Headed to DL

MINNEAPOLIS — Rain may not be the only thing that halts the Twins amazing start to June; All-Star First Baseman Justin Morneau is headed to the Disabled List.

The news is bittersweet for Twins fans as mere days ago news broke that Joe Mauer will be returning this week to the Twins from his own stint on the DL. It seems as if a trade is being made, one All-Star for another, as the Twins continue to avoid a completely healthy lineup. Morneau has been out since Friday and was scratched from the White Sox series before the scheduled game on Tuesday.

“We’ve waited about as long as we can,” Smith said.

Morneau received a cortisone injection on Sunday for what is being called a sprained wrist. “No matter what I want to play,” said Morneau. “But if it comes to the point where I’m not doing myself any good or anyone on the team any good … 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.”

As far as the injury woes go for the Twins, Morneau’s trip to the DL seems almost as natural as losing. Morneau will join Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, Jason Kubel, Denard Span, Glen Perkins, Joe Nathan and Kevin Slowey as Twins currently on the DL. The bright side is that Mauer and Nishioka appear ready to return soon, both having been out for the majority of the season having both last played in May.

In the meantime, Manager Ron Gardenhire and General Manger Bill Smith remain as optimistic as they possibly can about the injury bug chewing on the Twins. “We’re close to getting a lot of these guys back and that’s going to help this club,” Smith said.

Gardenhire also knows how much more improved his already surging team can get with big names like Mauer, Nishioka and Perkins back in the lineup. “We have people that we we’re counting on heavily and when we get all of our team back out there we expect it to be good,” Gardenhire said. “Really good. I hope.”

Josh Hill is the Lead Writer at Puckett’s Pond. You can follow him on Twitter, as well as Puckett’s Pond to keep up to date on all the best Twins action on the web.