"Nearly a year out from the season-ending concussion he suffered last season, Justin Morneau is a regular in the Twins lineup again. But he's not healthy, and he's not happy.

Yes, it's great to be on the field again, he said Tuesday afternoon, but quickly added, "I'm not someone who's happy to be out there, though. I expect a lot out of myself."

A pinched nerve in his neck is bothering him at the plate and in the field; two cortisone shots have failed to tame it, and the 2006 American League MVP said Tuesday he is resigned to playing the rest of the season in pain.

Whether that has contributed to what has so far been a subpar season, he doesn't know.

"Obviously, I'm not playing as well as I'd like," he said, "but whether it's because of this or not, who knows? It's one of those things where I can play with it, so I'll just keep going."

The first baseman's recovery from the concussion - caused when he was kneed in the head while breaking up a double play - has been about the only positive story line of the Twins' 2011 season. Yet it has been mitigated by the neck injury and the team's competitive failures.

Asked how many times he has been satisfied with his performance this season, Morneau said, "Seventeen?"

That's how many victories the Twins have.

Morneau went 2 for 4 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored in the Twins' 8-7 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park. His two-run blast in the seventh gave Minnesota a 7-6 lead, but he struck out in the ninth with one out and runners on first and second as the Twins lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

"When you get to the point in the lineup where I'm at now, personal accomplishments are secondary to wins and losses and making the playoffs. That's the only thing that really matters to me," Morneau said before the game. "