Morneau leaves his sick bed

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Justin Morneau had his first big day of the baseball season Thursday, and he did it just by showing up.

Still recovering from the latest in a series of offseason ailments, the Twins first baseman arrived from his winter home in Arizona two days before the first official full-squad workout of spring training.

"I'm a little weak and still a little sore in the chest," he said. "Could be a lot worse."

In fact, it has been much of the winter. Morneau has spent the past four months recovering from, in order:

An appendectomy;

Chickenpox;

Pleurisy;

Pneumonia.

And that doesn't count the wisdom tooth his dentist told him needs to come out. "I told him I'm not going to do it," said Morneau, who plans to save that one for next offseason.

"At least he's here," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's a good thing... . I'm sure he's going to be behind because he hasn't done anything, so we'll have to take our time with him."

Morneau, who replaced Doug Mientkiewicz at first base in July and hit 19 home runs in 280 at-bats, said he estimates he'll open camp about two weeks behind schedule. But he also said he managed to get just enough conditioning work in between ailments that he's not starting from scratch.

"I still have some strength," he said.

The Twins are counting on that strength this season, when the 23-year-old slugger gets his first chance at a full season of big-league at-bats. His 41 home runs last season (22 in 288 at-bats at Class AAA) were the most in the organization since Tim Laudner hit 42 between AA Orlando (40) and the big leagues (two) in 1981.

"He can be a force in the middle of the lineup," Gardenhire said.

For now, he's walking before he runs. Literally. That's his scheduled program today as he gets rid of the final effects of pneumonia, which followed an attack on his lungs by pleurisy, an infection of the tissue lining around the lungs.

"I'm not really too far behind," he said.

Balfour backs off

Reliever Grant Balfour, hampered by a sore forearm since pitchers and catchers reported over the weekend, threw from a bullpen mound for the first time Thursday but was forced to back off after about 10 pitches because his forearm started to bother him.

The discomfort wasn't considered a setback, and he completed a full session of throwing hard from a flat surface without trouble.

Briefly

Left-hander Terry Mulholland, battling bronchitis during the first week of camp, returned to the field and played catch after missing two days.

Thursday's workout schedule was shortened because of a charity golf tournament in which Twins players and coaches participated.