DETROIT -- Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who has been out since Wednesday because of a concussion, will skip the All-Star Game and there is no timetable for his return, manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday.
Morneau was evaluated by Dr. Kenneth Podell, a neuropsychology consultant for the Detroit Red Wings and Lions who specializes in headaches and concussions. Podell recommended that Morneau return to Minnesota to rest. He'll be re-evaluated during the All-Star break.
"There's some improvement, but he still has the headaches and the periods of dizziness," Gardenhire said. "They recommended getting away from baseball for a few days here, and we'll talk to him over the break. We'll see how he's doing, and if he's better, we'll go from there."
Morneau, 29, went on the 15-day disabled list in April 2005 after getting hit in the head with a fastball. At the time, he said that was his fifth head injury including concussions he suffered in his youth playing hockey and basketball.
"You're always concerned with a head injury," Gardenhire said. "I don't know if one thing has anything to do with the other. I can't tell you what he's going to feel like in three days, if this thing's going to linger and he might end up on the DL. The bottom line here is we're going to make sure he's healthy before we put him back out there."
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Morneau is batting .345 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI.
Entering Saturday, he led the American League with a .437 on-base percentage and was third with a .618 slugging percentage.
A four-time All-Star selection, Morneau was voted in as a starter this year for the first time. White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko was selected to fill Morneau's place on the All-Star team, and Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will replace Morneau in the starting lineup.
Once Morneau realized he was going to miss this weekend's series against the Tigers, he was ready to pull the plug on the All-Star Game, which will be held Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.
Now, catcher Joe Mauer will be the Twins' lone representative.
"If I don't play here, I'm not going to go there," Morneau said. "Obviously, if I can't play for my team, I'm not going to fly out there and run around for two days."
Morneau had hoped the headaches would subside, allowing him to begin light exercises.
"The way it goes, you have to be symptom-free before you do anything," he said. "It's not going to be where you push it, and it'll set you back for a couple days. It feels like it's getting better, so there's no reason to do anything to make it worse."
