MINNEAPOLIS — Twins prospect Ryan Costello's death in 2019 "was totally avoidable," his parents assert in a lawsuit filed in December. A doctor hired by the Twins to perform a physical exam that detected the heart abnormality that killed him, the suit alleges, did not treat the condition or inform Costello or the team about it.
"If his [condition] had been appropriately diagnosed and treated," the suit argues, "he would be alive today."
Costello was found dead in his New Zealand hotel room on Nov. 18, 2019, as he prepared to take part in the Australian Baseball League. He was a 23-year-old first and third baseman who appeared in 69 games for Twins affiliates Class A Fort Myers and 40 for Class AA Pensacola in 2019, batting .223 with 15 home runs between the two teams. In 2018, shortly after being obtained in a trade with Seattle for left-handed reliever Zach Duke, Costello hit a three-run home run in the final game of the Florida State League championship series, helping Fort Myers clinch the title.
Costello's parents, Christopher and Tammy Costello, filed the suit Dec. 20, 2021, in circuit court in Lee County, Fla., where the exam took place. It seeks unspecified damages against Dr. David Olson, who is described as an internal medicine physician on the Twins' staff listing, and Infinite Health Collaborative, the Burnsville clinic with which Olson is associated.
Olson, who also is affiliated with the Minnesota Vikings, St. Paul Saints and University of St. Thomas, did not respond to a message seeking comment. The Twins, who are not named as defendants in the suit, responded with a statement saying, "The Twins were just recently made aware of the lawsuit filed against Dr. Olson. The team is actively monitoring this developing situation."
The defense has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, asserting that Florida courts do not have jurisdiction. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for April 19.
During spring training in 2019, Costello underwent, as all players do, a standard preseason physical, including an electrocardiogram, which measures electrical signals in the heart. Costello's ECG was administered by Olson and, the suit maintains, discovered a condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, or WPW, which can cause an abnormally rapid heartbeat.
WPW is treatable, according to information on Mayo Clinic's website, but in rare cases can cause sudden death from heart attacks, which is what New Zealand investigators concluded happened to Costello, the suit says.
The ECG of Costello's heartbeat not only showed evidence of WPW, but the computer readout even noted "WPW — The ECG findings require further evaluation before participation in strenuous activities," according to an exhibit attached to the suit. The report is signed by Olson next to the WPW warning. Olson also indicated on a signed summary of Costello's examination, the suit alleges, that his ECG was "normal," and that "no action [is] necessary."
Olson "did not appropriately diagnose Ryan's WPW, did not inform Ryan that the ECG was abnormal, did not advise Ryan that he should be evaluated by a cardiologist, did not suggest follow-up testing or evaluation, and did not tell Ryan about the various treatments available to treat WPW," the lawsuit asserts. "It is unclear why Olson concealed the results of the ECG from Ryan, but conceal them he did."
Costello arrived in New Zealand a few days before his death for the beginning of the winter league season, but didn't show up for practice on Nov. 18. His body was found in his hotel bed, and his team, the Auckland Tuatara, said he died in his sleep. "Ryan's infectious energy and drive for greatness will never be forgotten," Twins assistant general manager Jeremy Zoll tweeted of Costello.
