SARASOTA, Fla. - No need to worry, Aaron Boone said Thursday.
Boone said when doctors wanted to run tests on his leaky heart valve, he was afraid he may have to miss a few months of the season to have surgery to repair the valve. But the tests showed nothing was wrong other than his normal heart murmur, and no surgery is needed anytime soon, if ever.
''It wasn't something that was life-threatening or even career-threatening,'' said the 24-year-old Reds infielder. ''If and when I have to get it done, it's not something that's going to affect my career or life. In that sense, it was a relief.''
Boone was glad to have the tests but never worried about his safety, even if others did.
''A lot of people, when they hear about your heart, they expect the worst, but that wasn't the case,'' he said.
Boone, hitting .194 with two homers this spring, said the problem hasn't affected him much mentally.
''There were a couple of days where we were a little in the unknown, but not really,'' he said. ''I was at ease. They educated me about it a little, and I knew that even the worst case wasn't going to be that bad.''
Batting order
Pokey Reese is likely to be the Reds' leadoff hitter. Manager Jack McKeon will use Reese in the No. 1 spot until Barry Larkin is healthy, moving left fielder Chris Stynes into Larkin's No. 3 slot. Jon Nunnally will bat second, with Eduardo Perez or Willie Greene fourth.
''I like a guy in the No. 3 spot who puts the ball in play (like Stynes),'' McKeon said.
Reese, taking over for Larkin at shortstop, is an unlikely No. 1 hitter considering his .219 batting average and .284 on-base percentage last season. But McKeon says that's misleading because Reese hit decently until the final month of the season, when he wore down. Reese is hitting .324 this spring.
''He has improved,'' McKeon said. ''I think he understands we're not worried about his average.''
Roster moves
The Reds optioned pitchers Jim Crowell and Scott Winchester to Triple-A Indianapolis Thursday and outrighted outfielder Ozzie Timmons and first baseman Roberto Petagine there.
Outfielder Midre Cummings, whom the Reds claimed on waivers three weeks ago, was claimed off waivers Thursday by Boston. The Red Sox will be Cummings' fourth team since the beginning of last season.
Pitcher Ricardo Jordan knows he's gone soon, perhaps in the next round of cuts. ''I'm hanging by a thread, but I know what's coming,'' he said.
No decisions
McKeon hasn't informed pitchers David Weathers and Mark Hutton that they'll be in the bullpen yet, especially with Brett Tomko not up to speed yet.
''Something could happen,'' McKeon said. ''I don't know if Tomko's ready. We'll know something next week.''
Feud heats up
The Reds' running feud with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune has reached a boiling point.
The Reds have criticized the paper all spring for what they perceive as a lack of coverage.
McKeon has ripped the paper to its reporters and in public appearances and this week was the subject of a column essentially telling him to shut up.
An editorial also criticized the Reds this week for complaining about a lack of fans at games.
Twins 2, Reds 1
SPRING TRAINING STORIES
REDS PAGE
