FORT MYERS, FLA. - Justin Morneau said he has a daily phone conversation with his doctor on his drive home from Hammond Stadium.

"We've been in constant contact; I've given them feedback every day, honest feedback," the Twins first baseman said Monday. "So if everything hasn't been perfect, or the way we wanted it to be, we've been in contact the whole way and continue to be monitored, that's for sure."

Morneau has played nine major league spring games after making sure he was free of the symptoms stemming from a concussion he suffered July 7 in Toronto. He said things have gone rather smoothly since he has started playing, and everything points to him being in the Opening Day lineup Friday, also in Toronto.

But he will have one more conversion with his doctor before the regular season begins.

"Even when the season starts, there will still be conversations and everything else, just to make sure I'm good," Morneau said. "There's a difference between playing five or seven innings in a spring training game and playing eight, nine, 10 days in a row. It's a situation I'll continually monitor.

"But as I said, the only way to find out is by going through it, and everything has reacted well so far."

Morneau's swing is starting to come around after a slow start at the plate. He had two doubles Saturday against Boston. He was 1-for-3 in Monday's 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh and drove a ball to deep center that was caught.

He was thrown out trying to advance to second base after reaching on an error in the sixth -- but he went for second not even thinking about a potential collision.

"My timing is starting to come," he said.

LA VELLE E. NEAL III