Former Vernon Viper Morgan OK Following Pitch To Head:

Former Vernon Vipers defenceman, Nyjer Morgan took a Barry Zito curveball to the helmet on Saturday in a 13-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Morgan was hit in the top of the first inning and stayed on base and took the field in the bottom of the frame before coming out as a precautionary move in the second inning. Morgan played as an "AP" with the Vipers during the (1996-1997) season. In the off season Morgan got the chance to skate-practice with his hometown team the San Jose Sharks back in early February of this year.

Nyjer Morgan's Player Profile:

http://brewers.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=460579#gameType='S'§ionType=career&statType=1&season=2012

This was posted on the Brewers website Sunday:

Morgan OK following pitch to head

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | 03/11/12

PHOENIX -- After taking a Barry Zito curveball to the helmet on Saturday, right fielder Nyjer Morgan was happy to be the butt of an old joke when the tests of his head came back Sunday morning and revealed there was nothing there.

Morgan sat out Sunday's tilt, however, as the Brewers took extra precautions.

"He's fine," manager Ron Roenicke said. "He's able to play, but we thought with the off-day tomorrow, we'd just give him off today. He's going to hit extra and do some extra work here. We really don't need to do this, but it kind of makes sense."

Morgan was hit in the top of the first inning and stayed on base and took the field in the bottom of the frame before coming out as a precautionary move in the second inning. He's in the mix as a potential starter in right field, depending on Corey Hart's recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery. Hart has progressed well and has an outside chance to be with the club for the April 6 opener.

"They say three to four weeks [to recover from knee surgery], and where that puts him is right, at the earliest, on that Opening Day," Roenicke said. "He's come along really well. He's walking around here without his crutches. His range of motion is farther along than what they thought it was going to be. Those things are hard to tell."

In other medical news, Shaun Marcum played catch again Sunday after throwing successfully Saturday, and Brandon Kintzler underwent an X-ray of his right arm.

"We're trying to figure out why he can't let it go like he wants to," Roenicke said of Kintzler. "We saw it earlier in camp. The BP he threw the other day was OK, but he's still not really letting it go."