Bonser: I need surgery
Posted on February 24th, 2009 – 7:59 AMBy La Velle
Twins righthander Boof Bonser just told me in the clubhouse that he’ll need surgery on his ailing right shoulder.
“They’re going to have to go in and clean it out,” he said.
Bonser said team doctors were looking the results of the MRI exam he underwent yesterday in St. Petersburg, Fla., and official word should come after today’s workout.
It’s a blow for Bonser, who was trying to figure out his bullpen role. Some feel he could be late-inning guy because he can hit 94 on the gun. But the Twins might want another long reliever to go with Matt Guerrier since Jesse Crain, Luis Ayala, Craig Breslow and Jose Mijares are largely one-inning guys.
We should know more about Bonser’s situation later today. The club could always suggest - strongly - that Bonser try rehab first. But Bonser sounded convinced that he’s going under the knife.
107 Responses to "Bonser: I need surgery"
That’s a shame. I was looking forward to watching Bonser rebound this year, but I guess I’ll have to put it on hold.
What does this mean for Mijares?
Phil Humber has now found his spot in the bullpen. I just hope he improves by the start of the season.
You could see this one coming a mile away.
“Rest and Rehab!” Ha!
Rest and rehab…isn’t that what the off-season was for? If his shoulder was bothering him at the end of last season why weren’t options addressed before now?
Gee, couldn’t figure this out over the winter and get it taken care of before this season started?????
What is so funny about rest and rehab? Look how well it worked for Neshek! oh yeah…
I called it as well. Rehab doesn’t work.
Why didn’t he have this done in October, instead of sitting on his (still) fat butt all winter?
Do the Twins not employee a team Doctor? Who’s making these decisions, Bert Blyleven?
Boof just wants to eat Hot Dogs and Nachos. Give him all the rest he needs, release him.
Boof the goof must’ve known all winter that his shoulder was messed up and he did nothing about it. Now, he’ll require surgery. For his rehab, send him to the minors and keep him there until his contract expires. He’s a worthless fraud who is a drag to the team. If he was working in a real job and pulled a similar stunt, he would be fired.
The Twins trainers have a tendency to let these things play out too long instead of nipping them in the bud when they have the chance.
This sucks for Bonser. I thought he might do well in the ‘pen. I guess Humber and Mijares have clear shots at the 11-man staff.
Will this up their efforts to land Cruz?
Good news!
Boof, just needs to put the weight back on, and get it in his arm and toss the ball in the high 90’s. Screw endurance, use him to set up Nathan.
To blame the Twins’ excellent trainers and doctors shows how much you really don’t know, Ben W. These guys probably had no earthly idea that Boof was hiding the fact that he had shoulder pain. Cut them some slack and comment on something you really know something about!! Unbelievable….
Oh shoot, who will blow the late inning leads this year?
fred
The Twins were aware of Boof’s shoulder soreness at the end of last season. For you to ignore this fact and blame the whole thing on Bonser shows how much you really know.
It’s a shame this team couldn’t have unloaded Bonser back when he maybe had some sort of value.
I wondered about Boof in the off season since he had a sore shoulder last August and September. It’s too bad for him but could be a great thing for Humber - perhaps now we will get the chance to see what he can do. Baseball rosters are hard to predict at the start of the season since you just don’t know who will be ready to answer the call when it counts!
jama, Ben, and Fred,
If you’re not a Twins employee like myself, you don’t know what was communicated between Boof, the trainers, and doctors. The tendency is to blame Boof the goof on this one and not the trainers or doctors as he has the most to gain or lose by his actions, or lack thereof. I find it hard to believe that they’ve kept him in the team this long. All of that being said, the Twinkies like to use the “rest and rehab” program a lot and it doesn’t seem to work very often. Peace.
I think Boof should have gastric intestinal bypass surgery. I heard he pulled his shoulder out when he was lifting huge forkfulls of food at Famous Daves. Also I heard he might have done this by carrying out to many dozens at one time out of the Krispy Kreme
“The blame game!
Shirley!
Shirley, Shirley bo Birley Bonana fanna fo Firley
Fee fy mo Mirley, Shirley!
Lincoln!
Lincoln, Lincoln bo Bincoln Bonana fanna fo Fincoln
Fee fy mo Mincoln, Lincoln!
Come on everybody!
I say now let’s play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody’s blame.
Try and lose summa tha weight!!!!!
I keep trying to forget about everything that happened (well, actually, didn’t happen) from the trade deadline the end of last season - yet it keeps rearing its ugly head. Did everyone get brain lock at the same damn time over there?
jama, everyone has aches and pains toward the end of the season. Look at the relief staff last year…. everyone was hurting. The fact that Boof did not make an issue of this problem during the off-season and get some help while he had time cannot be blamed on anyone but Boof.
Boof has been feeling pain since the end of last year. I’m not really surprised that he needs to go under the knife, if a full off-season of rest didn’t fix it.
Not a single person on this blog knows the circumstances surrounding Bonser’s situation. Why are any of you drawing conclusions? Perhaps you might propose your view as a theory?
I think most pitchers have some level of pain and injury at the end of every season, so I think the training staff just sends them all home to watch football and recuperate for a few months. Pitching is really hard on the body and most pitchers get hurt seriously at some point in their career. It’s a wonder teams aren’t more aggressive in following up with these guys in the off-season. But before you can call anyone negligent you want to know how much he told them in October or what they said to him in December. We’re outside and can’t say much that isn’t complete speculation.
Wow, four minutes and everything I wrote was already said. Fast board.
fred,
Boof had an MRI requested by the Twins,at the end of last season, BECAUSE he complained of the pain.
THAT MRI revealed nothing and he was told to rest in the off-season in hope that would rid him of the pain when he threw in the spring.
Blame the baseball gods, if you have to blame someone.
Blame Mr. Magnetic Resonance Imaging!
That’s the guy who f–ked up Boof.
funny how rumor, uninformed speculation or wild guessing turn into fact on here!
I don’t think the Twins trainers would disagree with me that they need to be more thorough in their evaluation of pitching injuries.
[…] Twins Insider – […]
Neither Boof nor the trainers should be blamed for waiting. Surgery should always be used as a last resort. I speak from personal experience:
When I was 19 I opted to “nip a problem in the bud” and have corrective surgery instead of going down the rest and rehab route. The surgery was deemed successful, but since then I’ve had a number of completely unpredictable complications that, in retrospect, make surgery look stupid.
There are so many factors that need to be considered before going under the knife. It would have been irresponsible to rush into the decision, and it’s ridiculous to make judgments from your living room.
Hope the “clean out” isn’t to invasive, maybe the recovery time wouldn’t be to long then. Wouldn’t it have shown up on an MRI in October? I thought he had an MRI on it before. Maybe not.
I know that I’ve heard many times that a player is going to have a 2nd MRI. Can someone with the medical expertise explain why the 1st test doesn’t show everything that a 2nd test shows?
I am sure the trainers are careless.
Its only their jobs, which they could lose by not being sufficiently thorough.
Sometimes experts do their job thoroughly and perfectly, but the patient still dies.
And someone who has absolutely no knowledge of the process, will second-guess that expert.
What a country!
That’s too bad. Wishing him the best. I hope it’s not a tear like Crain had.
It looks like Humber will get his chance now. How long does it take to recover from a surgery like this? Bonser is a good guy to have for long-relief situations, but I can’t say I’m too bummed about not having Bonser in the bullpen. Since Bonser is out of options, its a good chance for the Twins to give someone else a chance without getting rid of Bonser.
Twins want 11 pitchers
Well 5 starters plus the following:
Joe Nathan
Matt Guerrier
Jesse Crain
Luis Ayala
Craig Breslow
Jose Mijares
This equals 11 pitchers. Thus, Phil Humber and Knuckleballer are still out.
I would imagine Mijares will make the team since he is considered the #1 setup guy. We did not sign Ayala to cut him or send him to AAA. We lose Humber (hopefully by trade), Matt Guerrier is the long guy, and we bring up R.A. Dickey when we need a longer long guy/12th pitcher/or spot starter.
In other news: Somebody want to try doing the math on this one…
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/02/orlando-hudsons.html
It’s a shame this team couldn’t have unloaded Bonser back when he maybe had some sort of value.
The problem being that when Boof still had value…the Twins still needed him.
Ya know I love Boof, but he’s just dead weight on the team right now. Boof is as lovable as Kirby and Hrby, but without the game. Its time to part with John Boof Bonser, but thanks for the memories.
Boof had value?
When and how did they still “need” him??
I think Humber, in particular, could’ve done what Bonser did last year.
To bad Boof your shoulder is sore and now you might need surgery! Well Boof, you can have your surgery and to help speed up your recovery you have my permission to use the whole 2009 season to rest and rehab yourselve and hopefully you will be ready by spring training in 2010……
Does anyone know what this means when he is healty - i.e. would he be on waivers if he’s not on the roster immediately after rehab?
It’s too bad…I was looking forward to Bonser turning it around this season and settling into a solid bullpen role. He’s still young, so heal well Boof.
t; i think stephen hawking was hudson’s agent and drew up that contract!
Hello!
Why didn’t this idiot have surgery when his shoulder was hurting back in January?
how does this change the juan cruz situation….does it not reignite the urgency of trying to land him….?? i would think so… i dont have that much faith in a humber or someone else without a trackrecord
i really hate to see the season start this way…note even out of the gate yet and already one down to surgery….paranoia i guess–but im sure you know what i mean
What an idiot, waited all offseason to come to spring training and tell everyone he has a shoulder problem? He couldn’t have figured this Sh** out at the end of last season? What a team player!
Many unkind jokes about Boob and his weight. I don’t think that would affect your shoulder, but who knows. I do know that you should never eat more than you can lift.
oops! i misspelled boof
hit the submit before proofreading
These professional athletes and organizations are kind of interesting. How many times have we heard this same scenario where a guy checks in to Spring Training and ultimateky decides he needs his shoulder “cleaned out”, or a knee surgically repaired. This after a six month layoff where the surgery should have been performed and the necessary rehab accomplished. What don’t I understand?….don’t these guys care?….Do they just decide to take the season off, collect their disability? I don’t get it.
I just don’t understand why people are surprised. I mean, this guy continues to have an underwhelming career with the Twins.
He either needs a change of scenery or new profession. Right now, he is dead weight on this team, and I’m actually kinda glad because now Humber and/or Dickey will have room to advance, and maybe, just maybe, the team will make an even more aggressive push for Cruz.
I can’t believe that the thought of Bonser being a solution in the set-up role crossed people’s minds to begin with.
“Can someone with the medical expertise explain why the 1st test doesn’t show everything that a 2nd test shows?’
As someone WITHOUT REAL medical experise:
The first MRI was taken when the season had just ended and locating the injury was difficult because the entire shoulder area was in pain.
This spring, the pain was probably more localized and that smaller area was more closely examined by the MRI process.
Not figuring this out until now, can we now say this is just “Boof being Boof”?
Also I didn’t know they had a surgery for fixing sucks.
Do the Twins not employee a team Doctor?
Dr. Rosen Rosen
Cut Boof. He’s worthless. Give Humber a try in long relief. At least try to get something out of him - he’s out of options so now’s the time.
Keep Humber and Jones. Young guys can do mop-up! Get rid of Guerrier before he costs us another game.
We’re a small market team. We don’t need a mop-up pitcher making 1.4 mil!
I’m shocked it’s Boof’s shoulder, I would think it would be his neck bugging him from having to turn so quick on those homers and liners to the gap.
Keep Boof he’ll come around. Nathan had health problems when he was young and so did Blackburn.
If I were to say it was the first discovered case of salami shoulder, how many of you would take the clean way and how many the wrong way?
The first time I felt soreness in my shoulder, I had an MRI done and it was dignosed as an impingement with no tear. Six months later (after therapy and more use of the shoulder) the soreness returned. The second MRI revealed a partial tear of the rotator cuff. The doctor said it probably was not torn 6 months prior, but the shoulder structure was most likely stressing which eventually led to the tear. So, I don’t think Boof was necessarily mis-diagnosed in October. He probably did the final damage in January when he started cranking it up again… then it showed up on the MRI.
Will be interesting to see what shape he returns in for 2010. I think he’s a long shot given his age, weight, and performance history~
I don’t believe for a second that the Twins will head north with 11 pitchers. They’re saying that now but trust me when I say they’ll bring 12. The Twins start the season without a day off for the first 11 days. They also have a long history of carrying 12 pitchers. Wanting to carry 11 pitchers and actually doing it are 2 separate things. The signing of Crede doesn’t push someone like Humber to AAA. It probably pushes Tolbert instead.
Its Boof Bonser, its not like we lost Nathan. I wanted to see what Humber can do anyway. Sorry for Boof.
If they want a guy for extra innings in the bullpen Humber is the man. Last year was Bass. I think Humber can do better then Bass.
I really think they’ll end up carrying 12 pitchers too. Even if Boof is healthy he hasn’t shown in a long time he can be effective over several innings. They will need a long man, probably Humber. Games haven’t started yet so they have a little time to figure it out. McHale doesn’t run the Twins, so we have a better chance of them getting it right.
Bash Bonser all you want but we probably would not have won the 2006 title (which was my favorite regular season ever) without him.
It not always the rotaitor cuff. It could be the labrum (sp). It’s much harder to find on an MRI.
“Unbelievable!” has posted a very plausible scenario, guys.
We could very easily be talking about two injuries - the first stressed / weakened the shoulder (2008), the second occurring because the shoulder was still stressed / weakened.
Try to remember how Bonser contributed down the stretch in 2006, boys & girls … I suspect he’s just as disappointed that that stretch appears to be “lightning in a bottle” today.
The surgeons should have started cutting up Boof’s shoulder the minute he felt the slightest twinge of discomfort. Heck, why not require all the pitchers to go under the knife the day after the season ends just in case there might be some hidden problems.
Why does this keep happening to the Twins? Joe Mays, Liriano, etc. The Twins have them rest and rehab for a while, maybe pitch a year of complete ineffectiveness, and then have surgery. Not that they should just automatically have surgery, but it seems like they try to avoid surgery SO MUCH that they end up making what could be a one year thing - and turn it into a 2+ year thing.
Maybe Punto could fill Boof’s spot in the bullpen. Gardenhire thinks the man is a god anyway…
What is Boof getting done anyway? Does anyone know? Sounds like he’s getting some bone chips cleaned out. Slap a Band-Aid brand adhesive strip on it and he’ll be back giving up homers in no time.
I called this one right when I heard Boof’s missed his first bullpen session. Never a good sign when a pitcher comes to camp and his arm is already needing rest.
What happened to all the positivity over the signing of Crede.Some of you negative types just can’t help yourselfs,could of,would of.Alot of monday morning QB’s out there.20/20 hindsight is always 100%!
ba top 100 prospects:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospects/2009/267698.html
twins; 39 hicks, 59 revere, 71 ramos
Joe Crede is sooooooo 2/21/09.
I think what your seeing is just general frustration over how Boof’s career has evolved.
I also have fond memories for certain Booferies in 2006. But, now, in 2009, it’s seems to be a fact that he is simply dead weight.
I think of it as a positive in seeing what others like Humber, Dickey, Jones, etc. can contribute.
To summarize: Boof is not a very good pitcher, he folds under pressure, and now we find out he really doesn’t want to pitch anyway. Otherwise, he would have gotten that surgery done in October of LAST year!!!
Unbelievable!” has a very good point. Two years ago I had a torn labrum and took a 2nd MRI w/contast dye for it to be found. Of course I had to do 4 weeks of rehab before they would do the 1st MRI (Thanks to my Health Insurance) and deal with more pain until they finally did the 2nd one.
Let me preface this comment by first saying that I think that in most regards the Twins’ overall management is top notch!!! BUTTTTTT, it seems too often that their approach to injuries is akin to the Vikings brass approach to the draft podium!?!? Confused, unsure, and out of sorts…
Hey TwinsHR
Everyone knows that anyone with leagaly changed name Boof is a complete MORON anyway. The guy should just be CUT from the team. I understand that surgury is a last resort, but what was he doing to rehab in the off season? Great timing BOOF..just as the Twins do something they rarely have….pick up a decent player in Crede. Thanks for nothin BOOF…maybe you will be replaced with some talent!
Who cares? Boof is a terrible pitcher. He always has been bad and he always will be bad. Time for a young guy to step up and take his spot.
Going for a Cruz would help this situation, heck give up the dang draft pick!
CUT HIM
tough crowd in here today. it’s pretty harsh to start throwing accusations around without knowing the facts, but it’s not like that’s stopped people around here from doing that before.
Humber and Dickey may see their chances of making the team out of camp increase, but the guy I’m going to keep an eye out for this spring is Mulvey. I could see him being this ST’s Blackburn, come on strong and essentially force the Twins to find a spot for him on the staff.
Cutting him is precisely what they will do in surgery…
What an idiot, waited all offseason to come to spring training and tell everyone he has a shoulder problem? He couldn’t have figured this Sh** out at the end of last season? What a team player!
As has been pointed out numerous times, Boof’s shoulder problem was identified last fall, and looked at by team doctors.
If you’d do just a smidjen of research, you’d also know Boof was examined by team doctors at TwinsFest this winter, and put on a program at that time.
Noboby waited all winter to do anything. Pitching is tough on a body, and sometimes a body breaks down. It happens. Typically you try to avoid surgery if possible, especially to a shoulder.
Get a clue, numbnuts.
Hey Chief,
I could not have said it better myself! No ballplayer wants surgery as taking care of there body is there lively hood and that is how they make there money to support there family. Hopefully it is not a tear and rehab will work for him. I was really looking forward to seeing what Bonser could do for that bullpen this year as I think he would have been a key contributor. I think they may now step up there pursuit of Cruz I would imagine but his agent also knows that now too.
What is the status on Neshek?
“Get a clue, numbnuts”
Amen. Chief!
You can add respond to most of the comments to this post similarly.
Why does bad news seem to turn over a rock and release all the @#$%@#$%-heads onto the blog?
Well said Chief!! All the rest of you physician and trainer want to bes don’t quit your day job!
Bonser will be sidelined? For months (hopefully)? That’s the best news to come out of camp yet. Now, if only it would happen to Delmon…
I give the front office plenty of crap when I think they deserve it, but these unwarrented, uninformed attacks are ridiculous.
And completely unneccesary if people would just do 30 seconds of research before they hit ’submit.’
We need registration on these blogs, and it should be mandatory that every poster have “google” and “baseball reference” on their favorites list to be allowed to post.
Sign Chad Cordero!
Where do people think that Bonser is a positive to this team? He complained after being taken out of the rotation and was only average in relief. Twins tried to get rid of him last season and this off season but nobody wanted him because he isn’t a team player.
YouTube is handy too, Chief. This one make White Sox fans say dirty things, check it out:
For Ben W., jama and sane…you’re ignorance is making you look like idiots! You might want to change your screen name. As for Fred, birdofprey, Walter Johnson, Chief and Twin-Bill you are right on the money. Blaming the trainers and doctors for ANY injury to an athlete is totally ridiculous. So all those ignorant people are saying that there will be no injuries if they fire the doctors and trainers? Injuries happen on the field, not in the training room or doctor’s office. (Or undergoing an MRI.) Why blame anybody? There are bound to be injuries. That’s why there are trainers, doctors, the disabled list. Ben W. sounds like he is a wanna be medical personel…I agree, don’t quit your day jobs.
Medical Staff,
“I am sure the trainers are careless.
Its only their jobs, which they could lose by not being sufficiently thorough.”
If you couldn’t figure out that the above statement was sarcascm, then you are what you accuse me of - ignorant.
Read it again.
If you don’t realize that NOBODY could say THAT seriously, then it IS my fault…. for over-rating my audience!
Medical Staff,
Upon further review, maybe the sarcasm was too subtle.
My apologies for that, and for being overly defensive.
My bad!
This probably works out for the best. Bonser can hang out on the 60 day DL with Neshek, keeping him on the roster while giving Humber a spot in the bullpen as a long reliever/spot starter. That way, both pitchers, who are out of options, stay on the team, and the bullpen can sort itself out over the first couple months.
Opening Day bullpen: Nathan, Crain, Breslow, Guerrier, Humber, Ayala + Jones/Mijares/Dickey if we go with 12.
This is a MAJOR blow to any chances we have of overtaking the white sox 
