Sunday, May 23, 1999
Neagle ponders offseason surgery
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SAN DIEGO — Denny Neagle said Saturday that offseason surgery on his ailing shoulder is a possibility, though any procedure probably wouldn't be extensive.
Neagle said Dr. Ralph Gambardella, the specialist he visited Friday at the Kerlan-Jobe clinic in Los Angeles, said the weakened muscles in his left shoulder were “something I should look at fixing in the winter.”
This could change the complexion of Neagle's offseason. The Reds left-hander has one more year remaining on his contract that pays him $4.75 million annually. Since he was traded in the middle of a multiyear deal, he has the right to demand a trade. But his shoulder problems, along with his 0-3 record and 8.17 ERA, could discourage any suitors.
Neagle added that Gambardella didn't recommend an operation immediately, since a magnetic resonance imaging examination showed no serious rotator cuff damage. But Neagle said they noticed some “shadiness” around his labrum that could represent frayed muscles.
The MRI also confirmed some “undersurface tearing” in the back of Neagle's shoulder that the Reds already had discovered. Right-hander Danny Graves underwent surgery for a similar minor ailment after the 1997 season.
Neagle said that undergoing surgery now, even if it were a minor arthroscopic procedure, could sideline him for three months.
“It's one of those things you can deal with,” Neagle said. “It takes a little load off my shoulders in that I know there's nothing seriously wrong with me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried.”
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