Morneau back in lineup in opener vs. Reds

CINCINNATI -- The neck stiffness that forced the Rockies to scratch first baseman Justin Morneau from the starting lineup for Thursday night's 5-0 loss to the Rangers had subsided by Friday, and he started that night's series opener against the Reds.

Morneau entered Friday batting .331 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs while playing in 34 of the Rockies' 37 contests.

"I didn't think it would be too long -- I thought it might be a couple of days, but Justin is ready to roll," manager Walt Weiss said.