Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - A neck strain that kept Justin Morneau out of the Colorado Rockies' most recent series has landed the veteran first baseman on the 15-day disabled list.
The Rockies announced the move, which is retroactive to July 14, prior to Monday's game against the Washington Nationals. First baseman Ben Paulsen had his contract selected from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take Morneau's place.
Morneau, whose 60 RBI are tied for fifth in the National League this season, sat out the entire three games of Colorado's series at Pittsburgh this past weekend with the issue. It is unclear as to whether he sustained the injury while participating in last week's Home Run Derby.
The 33-year-old underwent surgery to repair a pinched nerve in his neck while with Minnesota in 2011, missing more than six weeks following the procedure.
Morneau is putting together a strong first season in Colorado, having hit .312 with 13 home runs over 89 games in addition to his team-leading RBI total.
Paulsen, a third-round pick of the Rockies in the 2009 draft, was hitting .291 with 15 homers and 57 RBI in 95 games with Colorado Springs.
Pitcher Jair Jurrjens was designated for assignment to make room for Paulsen on the 40-man roster. The former Atlanta Braves All-Star made two starts for the Rockies earlier this month but was shelled for 11 runs and 20 hits over 9 1/3 innings.
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