Justin Morneau almost back to his old self

Just as Justin Morneau strolled to his locker with his back turned, the high definition television sets located inside the visitor's clubhouse at Yankee Stadium started showing highlights of the Twins' 6-5 win.

Morneau wasn't really interested in taking a peek at first, even as a replay of his first-inning, two-run blast off Hiroki Kuroda appeared on the screen. But after seeing some of his other teammates peering at the footage, Morneau eventually couldn't resist, keeping his eyes glued on the television to see the keys plays -- two of which he had a direct hand in -- that helped Minnesota win for just the fourth time this season.

"That's always cool," Morneau said. "That's something I don't think you ever get used to. We're all fans of sports -- whether it's hockey or football -- and whenever you see yourself up there, it's always fun. It's pretty neat."

Particularly when you consider what Morneau, who recorded his first multihomer game since last May 31 in Detroit, has had to endure. That's what made his solid performance Wednesday night -- 3-for-4 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs -- all that more impressive.

Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP, has battled a concussion and a variety of injuries that limited him to 69 games last year and 81 in 2019. As he fights his way back, he's been used mostly at DH, though he got the chance to play first base in a surprising move in Monday's series opener.

"I've watched him go through the struggles the last couple of years here -- numerous injuries and the concussion thing," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I've watched him not be able to play baseball, which he likes to do an awful lot, and then have to watch other people play. So to see the smile on his face and see him rooting for his teammates . . . and being a part of this, that's big."

Morneau's first-inning homer off Kuroda set the tone in a four-run first inning, and his two-run shot in the fifth chased Kuroda. Now that his good health is returning, so is his swing.

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"The confidence in my wrist and the strength has really come a long way," Morneau said. "I've been able to build strength as opposed to just trying to maintain it. I think when I got home , I was overswinging a little bit, trying to hit the ball a little too hard and make up for lost time and doing a little too much.