CINCINNATI -- General manager Jim Bowden suggested Tuesday that the Cincinnati Reds' medical staff misdiagnosed Ken Griffey Jr.'s torn hamstring, but later apologized for the statement.

The general manager's misstep provided another awkward moment amid one of the team's worst May slumps, brought on largely by injuries that have decimated the lineup.

On his radio show before the Reds' game against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, Bowden said Griffey's hamstring tear during spring training "originally was misdiagnosed." Bowden noted that a magnetic resonance imaging test later found the tear in a different part of the hamstring.

Dr. Timothy Kremchek was upset when he heard of Bowden's remark. After a meeting of Bowden, Kremchek and chief operating officer John Allen, the general manager issued an apology and the team called a mid-game news conference.

"I certainly did not mean to say anything derogatory about Dr. Kremchek," Bowden said, with Allen standing at his side.

Kremchek, in his fifth year as the team's medical director, was taken aback by Bowden's comment on the radio show.

"My initial reaction was kind of tough," Kremchek said. "When you use the word 'misdiagnosed,' medically it sends off alarms."

Kremchek said he was satisfied with Bowden's assurance that he didn't mean to impugn the medical staff.

There's no timetable for Griffey's return from the disabled list. He's taking batting practice and doing exercises, but doctors can't say how long it will take for the hamstring to heal completely.

Griffey hopes to be back in a few weeks, but the Reds are reluctant to set any timetable.

"It's possible he could be back in the next two to four weeks, but I'll believe it when I see it," Bowden said.