The Minnesota Twins have been anxiously hoping for Justin Morneau's return for months now — not that they seem to need him.
In Morneau's absence, the team has actually hit better than it did with Morneau in the lineup. They were 45-39 with a .272 batting average and .420 slugging percentage with him on the team, but they have been 49-29 with a .274 average and .423 slugging mark since he's been out.
They will have to keep that up, as the former MVP was ruled out for the length of the playoffs on Monday, ESPN.com reports.
"In talks with Justin and our doctors and everybody, we have made the decision that to try to get him ready to play in the ALCS or the World Series in the matter of two weeks is accelerating the process too quickly," Twins general manager Bill Smith explained.
Morneau suffered a concussion July 7 when he collided with Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald. He has been dealing with post-concussion symptoms ever since, though he has improved.
He was hitting .345 when the injury occurred.
The Twins open up their divisional-round series at home against the Yankees on Wednesday.
