Reports on Tuesday indicated Boone may need surgery at some point to replace a leaky heart valve. But Kremchek said Wednesday that Boone may go his whole life without having it repaired, and it won't interfere with his career.
''He's full go. He doesn't need an operation, doesn't need medication, nothing,'' Kremchek said. ''I don't want to rule out any surgery ever, but no surgery is imminent and he might play his entire career without having it done. In no way will it affect his baseball career.''
Doctors have known about Boone's heart murmur for several years, but a routine physical in February led Kremchek to believe it may have worsened.
The Reds sent Boone to a specialist in Sarasota and had him tested at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., on Tuesday.
Kremchek said the results of those tests indicated the problem was not as bad as it seemed during the physical. He praised the Reds for attending to the potential seriousness so quickly.
''People were pretty scared,'' Kremchek said, ''so this is excellent news.''
Boone was unavailable for comment Wednesday, the Reds' only off-day of the spring. His condition was news to manager Jack McKeon, who said, ''I don't know anything about it.''
Boone, listed as 25 but actually 24, is not expected to make the Reds' major-league roster this year.
But he is an important part of their future plans, especially for the team they say they are building in hopes of opening a new stadium in the next five years.
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