Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau will miss a game or two because of an injured left side. (The Associated Press)
ST. LOUIS — Justin Monreau’s quest for the National League batting title has not been derailed by injury, it’s just been put on hold for a couple of days.
The Rockies’ first baseman is not in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Cardinals after injuring his left side Friday night.
“We are not 100 percent sure it’s an intercostal (injury),” trainer Keith Dugger said Saturday. “It’s kind of sore behind the left lat. He just has a little soreness.
“It’s not a huge (injury). It’s not like an oblique-type of soreness. We aren’t overly concerned, but we want to make sure he’s right before we send him out there.”
A strained oblique muscle can put a baseball player on the disabled list for a month or more, but Dugger said that is not the case with Morneau.
Morneau is hitting .315, in second place behind the Pirates’ Josh Harrison in the NL batting race. Morneau already has 507 plate appearances this season, surpassing the 502 needed to qualify for the title. So even if he were to miss a significant part of Colorado’s final 15 games, he could still win the batting title.
Manager Walt Weiss said Morneau first felt discomfort during batting practice before Friday’s game. Morneau went 0-for-3 before leaving the game in the sixth inning.
“It got a little worse during the game,” Weiss said. “I don’t think it’s anything serious. I expect him to be back very soon.”
Tags: Justin Morneau, Keith Dugger, Walt Weiss
