Yesterday, we learned that Boof Bonser has been scheduled to undergo another MRI on his ailing right shoulder. Tests taken a couple months ago reportedly revealed no structural damage, but Bonser has struggled to throw the baseball this offseason and saw no improvement in a throwing session on Wednesday.
The team seems to think this is just a bad case of tendonitis that will eventually go away, but Bonser’s words haven’t struck me as particularly optimistic. In a La Velle E. Neal III report published earlier this week, the right-hander was quoted as saying, “It was bothering me. I started playing catch and throwing off the mound (after the New Year) and I really couldn’t do it. So we stretched it out and finally got the cortisone shot. Here I am right now.” … “Here I am right now”? Does that sound like a guy who is confident he’s on the verge of putting these issues behind him and getting to work?
If Bonser’s upcoming MRI reveals something more serious than a case of tendonitis, it will likely lead to a a stint on the disabled list at the beginning of the season. That’s unfortunate, because Bonser showed some promising flashes late in the 2008 season after moving into the bullpen, and he has the stuff to become a force as a reliever. However, the Twins can’t really be counting on Bonser for much considering he finished last season with an ugly 5.93 ERA. Plus, Bonser opening the season on the DL would potentially relieve the Twins of some headaches when it comes to constructing a bullpen, as they’d be able to bring Jose Mijares north as a second left-hander without the risk of losing either Bonser or Philip Humber.
I’m hopeful that Bonser’s shoulder issues don’t turn out to be anything particularly serious, and I could easily see him stepping up as a key contributor in the bullpen this year. With that said, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he were to open the season on the DL, allowing the team some extra time to sort out the bullpen situation.
Friday, February 20, 2009
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3 comments:
Boof going on the disabled list would be beneficial to the Twins. They would have the opportunity to bring him back (if healed) as a replacement if any of the other folks who take his place come up lame (in one of a couple of ways, to use the term loosely).
I still think Mijares is also on the bubble.
And you could argue if Perkins is still a lock for the rotation. So the Twins possibly have three bullpen positions or two bullpen positions and a starting job up for grabs.
Boof's problems magnify as this is the year before arbitration. He needed a good showing for the Twins to keep him in 2010 at a near million a season, or to be used sa trade bait. As it stands, the Twins have to compare him closely to what else is on the roster or in the system, and even going into this summer it looked likely that Boof would be cut come fall if he pitched at last year's level.
Should also note that Pat Neshek is in somewhat of the same situation. And the Twins won't know until after a stint in the minors in 2010 if he is capable of a total comeback and the two sides have to reach an arbitration settlement. Hopefully he won't disappear from the system, similar to Grant Balfour of a few years back. Balfour recovered nicely from his surgeries and would be an excellent set-up guy that the Twins seek, now. But the Twins were forced to cut him and see if they could minor league him, or pay him big bucks for another season with unpredicatble results. Someone else signed him, sent him to the minors, allowed him to recover...sigh!
Boof injured creates opportunities. Boof is still a good enough thrower that he will find work no matter his outcome, at least for a few more seasons.
Which also brings up the Twins four outfielders. You never know who might go down, especially during spring. I would rather worry about shifting four guys into three spots for most of the season, than jettisoning one right now and having to open the year with Pridie as a replacement for one of the keepers. Think about that!
Good take, Curveball.
Sometimes where modern medical technology fails the human eye succeeds. Example, Rafael Soriano. Soriano's saga started in 2008 when he reported to camp feeling pain in his elbow. The Braves went through a few cycles of shutting him down, bringing him back, and the pain would re-occur. Finally, after the I-don't-know-how-many MRI, Dr. Andrews opened up his elbow and found a displaced nerve. If Bonser's condition doesn't improve, he'll probably be subject to exploratory surgery. Maybe then they'll find a problem. Hopefully for the Twins' sake his pain goes away.
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