Bonser's agent irked at delayed decision

Twins officials defended efforts to get the reliever's shoulder healed before opting for surgery.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: February 25, 2009 - 11:33 PM

FORT MYERS, FLA. - Twins righthander Boof Bonser underwent likely season-ending surgery on Wednesday to repair a partially torn rotator cuff and partially torn labrum -- and Bonser's agent, Larry Reynolds, isn't happy that the Twins waited this long to get to this point.

"To say that we're disappointed is an understatement," Reynolds said.

Bonser had surgery after two MRI exams and X-rays since the end of last season failed to diagnose the problem and a cortisone shot received just before spring training began failed to help Bonser, a favorite to nail down a bullpen spot.

One MRI came during an exit physical after last season ended.

When nothing was found, the Twins decided to see if rest would take care of what was thought to be tendinitis.

He threw three times in January, then reported the same problems during annual physicals taken during TwinsFest. He received a cortisone shot on Feb. 12, which helped only a little.

He then had a second MRI exam on Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla. -- where he also sought the opinion of Tampa Bay team physician Dr. Koco Eaton.

Eaton found no structural damage, either.

But Reynolds believes the Twins could have done more after last season ended.

"You are looking at a situation where he is out for a year when it could have been taken care of earlier," Reynolds said. "It should have been taken care of before the first day of camp."

Twins General Manager Bill Smith said everyone in the organization is just as disappointed as Reynolds is at how things turned out for Bonser. But he stressed that the proper steps were taken before they had no other option than to have exploratory surgery.

"I'm not a doctor. Don't pretend to be one," Smith said. "So we had multiple qualified people look at him. We had radiologists look at him, two team physicians look at him. And that's why we were doing the arthroscopy -- because something wasn't showing up on the MRI and he's having continued discomfort and we needed to find out what it is."

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