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| David Ortiz went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer off Brad Bergesen in today's 8-4 loss to Baltimore. His other hit was a single. |
Our View: That marked Big Papi's first homer of spring training, but still carries a dismal .143 batting average. He will be looking for a strong season, namely as Boston holds a $12.5MM club option on him for 2011.
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| David Ortiz has yet to comment on his contract situation this spring, according to ESPN. |
Our View: The Red Sox hold a $12.5 million team option on Big Papi for the 2011 season, but thus far have shown no inclination to exercise it or extend Ortiz. Unless his 2010 is dramatically better than his 2009, he can count on neither happening.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a two run homer in Wednesday's exhibition game against Northeastern University. |
Our View: Ortiz clearly has a spot on the Sox this season, but we thought it was notable that he went deep early in the spring. Perhaps it's the confidence boost he needs to stay away from another season where he doesn't hit his first home run until May 20th.
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| David Ortiz has told WEEI that he wants to play three or four more big league seasons. |
Our View: He seems to think the "enthusiasm" he plays the game with will ensure he sticks around. Unless he enthusiastically hits 30-to-35 bombs this season, expect the Red Sox to decline his $12.5 million 2011 contract option.
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| The pressure is on a "slightly trimmer" David Ortiz this season, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Of course, this is an obvious statement, but after four straight years of declining numbers, it cannot be avoided. If not for his $12.5 million contract for this season, he almost certainly would no longer be in Boston, and his chances of being a fantasy success are small. While he still may bang 20 home runs in 2010, it's unlikely he will do much of anything else, making him a risky pick in the earlier rounds of most mixed drafts. You might need the power, but you certainly won't need the .220 average.
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| David Ortiz has lost 15 pounds this offseason, according to the Boston Globe. He is hoping it makes him more mobile and adds some zip back to his swing. |
Our View: So goes Ortiz's latest attempt to recapture the mid-2000s magic he has lost. Of course, in the recesses of one's mind, we all likely know the real reason Ortiz has lost his pop. That being said, it's admirable to see him doing whatever it takes to become as productive as he once was. But in this era of stringent steroid testing, and at the age of 34, expect Big Papi's career spiral to continue unabated in 2010. He'll be a risky draft pick in mixed formats. He could still provide you some decent power, but his catcher-esque batting average could be a deadweight you simply don't need.
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| Conflicting an earlier item, the Red Sox have denied a report by the Daily Telegraph that stated Boston would play a game in Australia this season, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Well, that story was fun while it lasted. It looks like we won't be seeing any baseball games down under anytime soon.
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| The Red Sox will reportedly play a game in March next season in Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, according to the Daily Telegraph. |
Our View: No word yet on who Boston's opponent will be and whether it will be a preseason game or actually count.
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| David Ortiz claimed on Tuesday to have "another three or four good years in me," according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: He will be in the final year of four-year contract next season, and looking for a new deal at the age of 35. He has said he wants to end his career in Boston. Looking at his .238 average from last season, he may have already. It's impossible to believe he will have another 28 homer, 99 RBI campaign in 2010 if he doesn't get his average back near his career level of .282.
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| In an effort to stave off another epic, season-beginning slump, David Ortiz has pledged to get into better shape this offseason, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: He is going to spend a good chunk of his offseason at Athletes' Performance in Tempe, Arizona. It could enhance his early season performance in 2010, but maybe not as much as some of his past methods.
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| David Ortiz finished the ALDS 1-for-12 with four strikeouts as the Red Sox got swept by the Angels. |
Our View: After a wretched start to the season, Ortiz got things going in the second half to put up somewhat respectable numbers. However, he was awful in the postseason.
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| David Ortiz is out of Friday's lineup against Cleveland, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Ortiz is not nursing an injury, and skipper Terry Francona decided to just give him a day off, namely against opposing lefty Jeremy Sowers. Mike Lowell will serve in the DH role.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-4 with three RBI in tonight's 9-5 loss at rival New York. He hit a two-run homer off Joba Chamberlain. |
Our View: Ortiz is hot in the power department, as he crushed a homer in each of his last three games. He has 27 homers for 2009.
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| David Ortiz had a huge night for the Red Sox on Thursday in his team's 10-3 win over the Royals. Ortiz went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, a run scored, and three RBI. |
Our View: Big Papi has homred in consecutive games, and it looks like he is heating up at the right time. He has seven RBI in the last two games, and production from Ortiz makes the Sox even more formidible as the postseason approaches.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with four RBI in tonight's 9-2 win at Kansas City. He hit a single and a three-run homer off Carlos Rosa. |
Our View: Big Papi launched his third homer of September, and his 25th of 2009. He tied his single-game high with four RBI, the last time coming on July 8 against Oakland.
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| David Ortiz led the Sox offensively in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Angels at Fenway Park, as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI. He hit a single and a solo homer off Jose Arredondo. |
Our View: Ortiz hit his second homer of September and his 24th of 2009, topping his season total from 2008.
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| David Ortiz is not in the Red Sox's lineup for Suday afternoon, according to the Twitter page of beat writer Amalie Benjamin. Jason Bay will serve as the team's DH, while Josh Reddick takes over in left field. |
Our View: Big Papi has been gettingsome regular time off over the last month or so, and today is no different. He should return for the team's next game, but he will observe from the dugout today.
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| David Ortiz is getting Labor Day off for the Red Sox. Ortiz will sit while Victor Martinez takes over as the DH against the White Sox. |
Our View: Ortiz will be observing the holiday just like most of the nation today, by getting the day off. Big Papi has been much better in the second half this season, but he is still far from the player he used to be.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in tonight's 3-2 win over Chicago at Fenway Park. His first shot came off Gavin Floyd, and the second was a walk-off homer off Tony Pena. |
Our View: Big Papi now has seven homers this month, and 22 for 2009. He is hitting .212 in August, but at least he is still generating power for fantasy owners.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI in the Red Sox's blowout win over the Yankees on Saturday. |
Our View: Big Papi has started to utilize the long ball as of late, but he is still struggling mightily at the plate. His fantasy stock has plummeted this season, but if he keeps hitting for power he can help fantasy squads.
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| According to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, the Red Sox are "concerned" about the slumping, and recently outed steroid user, David Ortiz. |
Our View: Well, to put it crudely and bluntly, duh. Big Papi has been more like "the Big Pop-Up" or "Big Called Looking" lately, as he's hit .182 with just eight RBI this month. He has homered in his last two games, but he has had many other false starts out of slumps this season. If the Sox want to have any chance of making it back to the playoffs, they desperately need Ortiz to not look like the hollowed-out shell he has to this point.
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| David Ortiz hit his 17th homer and drew a pair of walks in Boston's 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Sunday. His homer, a solo shot, came in the second inning. |
Our View: The 17 homers, while still disappointing, is much improved from where Ortiz was a couple months ago. Still, the .221 batting average is tough to swallow.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in tonight's 8-4 win at Texas. He hit a single and a two-run homer off Eddie Guardado. |
Our View: Ortiz ended an 11-game drought without a homer, and has 16 for the season. He was in need of a solid performance as he held an anemic .114 average over 44 at-bats this month heading into tonight's game.
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| David Ortiz told the media at his press conference on Saturday that he was careless when buying over-the-counter supplements but that he never purchased or used steroids. |
Our View: Ortiz was apologetic when talking about the positive test today, but he was pretty clear in his assertion that he has never used steroids. It is hard to tell these days who is lying and who is telling the truth, but it is almost a sure thing that more news will come out on this issue.
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| David Ortiz will ride the pine for tonight's game at Tampa Bay, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Big Papi is not injured, but skipper Terry Francona is holding him out against opposing lefty David Price. Mike Lowell will serve as Boston's DH in his place.
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| David Ortiz is in the news again on Thursday, but this time it is for his performance on the field. Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI in the Red Sox' 8-5 win over the A's. |
Our View: This has been a roller-coaster day for Ortiz, and after the news of his positive drug test in 2003, he came out and hit a three-run homer in the seventh to put the Sox up for good. Things aren't going to be getting easier for Big Papi in the coming days, but for now it looks like the news is not affecting him.
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| David Ortiz, along with former teammate Manny Ramirez, has been revealed as one of the 103 players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's 2003 testing, according to The New York Times. |
Our View: While we can't say this is at all shocking, it's still sad to know for sure that another one of the 2000s' giants of the game is a chemically enhanced one. Especially since in February he said he believed that players who tested positive for steroids should be suspended for an entire season. Odd hypocrisy from an apparent cheater. As for Ortiz now, maybe it wasn't his eyes that were bothering him after all this season.
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| According to WEEI.com, David Ortiz isn't expected to be in Boston's starting lineup on Wednesday. |
Our View: Ortiz left Tuesday's game early to be with his daughter in the hospital, but he was apparently slated to sit this game out anyway with lefty Brett Anderson on the mound. Adam LaRoche will play first, Kevin Youkilis will man the hot corner and Mike Lowell will take over DHing duties for the night. Be sure to adjust your lineups accordingly.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in tonight's 3-1 loss at Texas. |
Our View: The Sox only mustered six hits in the game, and stranded 14 runners on base. Ortiz has a hit in four straight contests, but has gone seven games without a homer.
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| David Ortiz drove in the lone Boston run on Sunday, as Roy Halladay baffled the Red Sox en route to his 11th victory. |
Our View: Ortiz is now up to 50 RBI on the season, but is still batting just .224. Still, his consistent power production since overcoming his awful start is a good sign going forward into the second half. He should be owned in every format.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the Red Sox' 3-1 win over the Blue Jays on Friday. Ortiz is now hitting .226 on the season. |
Our View: Papi is still far from being a dominant fantasy force like he used to be, but at least now he is starting to contribute a bit. He is still a risky mixed league play, but AL-only owners could probably use him.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer off Luke Hochevar in tonight's 8-6 loss to the Royals at Fenway Park. |
Our View: Ortiz hit a homer in three of his last five games, and tonight's home run was the 300th of his career. He should remain a solid source for power as long as he stays healthy.
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| David Ortiz went deep for the tenth time this season in Boston's 5-4 win over the A's on Wednesday. It was his only hit in four trips, but he finished with four RBI. |
Our View: Big Papi has now homered nine times since June 6th, after hitting just one up to that point. His RBI total climbed to 42, but he's still a fantasy disappointment with his .223 average.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Mariners at Fenway Park. He hit a single and a solo homer off Brandon Morrow. |
Our View: Ortiz snapped a seven-game skid without a homer, and collected his ninth of the season. He was a good source for power in June with seven homers over 75 at-bats. He batted .320 last month as well.
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| David Ortiz is not in the Red Sox lineup for their Saturday afternoon game against the Mariners. He is being replaced by Rocco Baldelli as the DH. |
Our View: With the team facing a lefty today, manager Terry Francona decided to give Papi a day off. He is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow, but check back just to make sure.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a solo homer off Jair Jurrjens in tonight's 4-1 win at Atlanta. |
Our View: Ortiz continues his power surge, as he crushed a homer in three of his last four games, and has seven this month. He has six RBI over his last five outings as well.
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| David Ortiz is slated to cover first base and bat cleanup in tonight's game at Washington, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Skipper Terry Francona is holding Kevin Youkilis out to rest. Ortiz has been too hot to ride the pine as well, with homers in each of his last two games and six in June.
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| David Ortiz carried the Red Sox offensively in Wednesday's 6-4 win at Washington, as he went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. He hit a single and a three-run homer off Craig Stammen. |
Our View: Ortiz continues to enjoy a power surge, as he crushed his sixth homer in June, with one coming in each of his last two games. He only hit one homer over the first two months of the season in April and May.
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| The Boston Globe is reporting that David Ortiz is not in the Red Sox' lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Nationals. With no DH in the NL park, the Sox are forced to play without him tonight. |
Our View: Ortiz will probable see some time at first while in NL parks, but with the lefty John Lannan on the hill tonight the team decided to give him the night off. Ortiz is finally starting to hit the ball, but anyone who owns him should find another option tonight.
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| David Ortiz may be starting to put some semblance of a season together. He hit his sixth home run of the season on Sunday in a 2-for-4 effort as Boston nipped the Braves 6-5. |
Our View: Papi's struggles have been well documented this season, so we won't delve too deep here. But after a miserable start he has been showing signs of life. He now has five homers since June 6th, which is a vast improvement over the lone shot he had up until that point this season.
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| David Ortiz stayed productive in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Marlins. He was 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and three runs scored. |
Our View: Perhaps those eye drops are making the difference for Ortiz. He has seven walks against two strike outs in his last seven games. It appears he is back on his way to being a productive fantasy DH.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and three RBI in Tuesday's 8-2 win over Florida at Fenway Park. His other knock was a single. |
Our View: Big Papi continues to enjoy a power surge, as he collected his fourth homer of June. He only hit one homer over the first two months of the season.
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| The Boston Globe is reporting that David Ortiz is in the lineup and playing first base for the Red Sox' series opener at Philadelphia. Ortiz will hit fifth, and Kevin Youkilis will move to third to give Mike Lowell the night off. |
Our View: Now that Papi is showing some signs of life at the plate, the Red Sox can't afford to take him out. With that being said, they now have to suffer with him defensively at first. It will be interesting to see how the Sox handle Ortiz in National League parks, but don't be shocked if he sits more than he plays.
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| David Ortiz helped lead the charge in Thursday's 4-3 win over the rival Yankees at Fenway Park, as he went 2-for-3 with a solo homer off ace CC Sabathia. His other knock was a single. |
Our View: Ortiz continues to enjoy a power surge, as he has three homers over his last five games. He only had one homer over the first two months of the season, and is finally fit for fantasy duty.
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| David Ortiz might not play first base during the Red Sox interleague play games against the Phillies this weekend according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Manager Terry Francona said Ortiz might start one game if the Red Sox decide to spell Mike Lowell and move Kevin Youkilis to third, but that otherwise Ortiz will be out. This is inopportune timing for Ortiz and his fantasy owners as the lovable slugger appears to finally be emerging from a protracted slump.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer off A.J. Burnett in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the rival Yankees at Fenway Park. |
Our View: Ortiz is finally generating power as he hit his second homer over his last three games tonight. He is also riding a seven-game hitting streak, and Big Papi is once again worthy of fantasy lineups.
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| According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox' slugger David Ortiz underwent an eye test on Monday. His vision was said to have checked out well, and he was given eye drops for dry eyes. |
Our View: As expected, Ortiz has no problems with his eyesight, but the dry eyes issue could be real. Ortiz said he has been blinking more in the batter's box due to the dryness, so maybe this will help. We seriously doubt that dry eyes is the entire cause of the debacle that is his 2009 season.
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| David Ortiz had a big night at the plate on Saturday in the Red Sox' 8-1 win over the Rangers. Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run, and an RBI. |
Our View: Nice to see Ortiz go deep, but he still only has two homers on the year and is hitting an abysmal .196. Until he shows he can hit with power consistently, fantasy owners should stay away.
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| According to FOX Sports, slumping Red Sox slugger David Ortiz will consult an eye doctor on Monday. |
Our View: Ortiz is apparently having vision problems at the plate, which could be the explanation for his dreadful start to the 2009 season. Ortiz has had "dry eyes" this season, causing him to blink repeatedly during at-bats. The condition has apparently plagued him since the offseason. Hopefully a visit to the eye doc will correct the problem and get him back on track.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a single and recorded Boston's lone RBI in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Rangers at Fenway Park. |
Our View: Boston only had seven hits in the loss. That was only Ortiz's 21st RBI of the season.
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| The Boston Globe is reporting that David Ortiz is planning on having his eyes checked. "There have been some situations that something has happened to my eyes, my vision. But I'm planning on getting my eyes checked out sometime soon. I don't know. It's just sometimes that I've been feeling lately. It's not anything crazy, but just to make sure." |
Our View: Ortiz went on to say that the players get their eyes checked every year and that he has 20-20 vision, so don't expect any changes coming due to his eyesight. Ortiz is trying to do anything to break out of his slump, so who knows, maybe this will work.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the Red Sox 5-1 win over Detroit on Tuesday. After starting the season with a 39 game homerless streak, he has now gone 11 games since his first and only home run. |
Our View: It continues to be ugly for Big Papi owners even after the Red Sox dropped the slugger to sixth in the batting order. With his pedigree, it is hard to believe he won't turn it around to at least some degree, but if you can unload Ortiz for any kind of quality in return, you might be well served to do so.
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| David Ortiz has been dropped to sixth in the batting order for today's game at Minnesota, according to the Boston Globe. He will hit between Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek. |
Our View: Ortiz is gravely struggling with a .193 batting average, and only has one hit over his last 19 at-bats, with nine strikeouts over the span. Perhaps dropping him in the order will put less pressure on him to produce.
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| David Ortiz is expected to return to the lineup tonight at Minnesota after being held out Monday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: It is uncertain where he will hit in the batting order. He is struggling with a dismal .195 average over 40 games, with 41 strikeouts. He only launched one homer so far as well. That is the reason he rode the pine yesterday.
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| Updating an earlier report, David Ortiz is not in today's lineup at Minnesota, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Mike Lowell is penciled into the DH role with Kevin Youkilis at third and Jeff Bailey at first. Ortiz is riding the pine as he has been gravely struggling at the plate.
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| David Ortiz may be dropped in the batting order as he continues to struggle at the plate, according to the Boston Globe. Hitting coach Dave Magadan said (regarding dropping Ortiz in the lineup), "I think that is something we are going to discuss. We will probably talk about it on the flight to Minnesota. We want to do what is best not only for David, but what is best for the team."
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Our View: Ortiz remains upbeat, and noted that he feels good at the plate. Perhaps moving him down will allow him to break out of his slump while putting less pressure on him to produce. He has struck out 41 times over 40 games, with a dismal .195 batting average.
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| David Ortiz was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Boston's 5-3 loss to the visiting Mets on Friday. |
Our View: Since Big Papi was given the weekend off to reflect on his struggles, he has gone 3-for-16 with seven strikeouts. Yes, he did manage to hit a home run, but his glaring struggles continue.
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| David Ortiz finally went deep for the first time this season in the Red Sox 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Ortiz was 2-for-5 on the night with two RBI and a run scored. |
Our View: All we can say is, it's about time. Ortiz has not been good this season, but it is good that he finally got the home run monkey off his back. Hopefully this gets him going, but don't count on it. He is still a risky fantasy play at best.
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| David Ortiz is penciled into tonight's lineup against Toronto at Fenway Park, according to the Boston Globe. Big Papi will bat third in the order. |
Our View: He returns following a weekend of rest. The Sox are hoping he will find his swing as he has been struggling with a .208 average over 130 at-bats, with no homers and 30 strikeouts.
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| The Providence Journal reports that Red Sox manager Terry Francona is not committed to returning "slugger" David Ortiz to the third spot in the order. Ortiz was given the weekend off to try and get out of his season-long slump. |
Our View: Hallelujah! With five potential No. 3 hitters in the lineup, there's no reason to have a .208 batting average in the three-hole. Especially one who is slugging all of .300. We like to think that the weekend off will help Ortiz's bat wake up. Hopefully he hit the weight room.
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| According to the Boston Herald, struggling DH David Ortiz will remain on the bench until Tuesday to try and work his way out of a massive slump that has steamrolled into a terrible start to the season overall. The team wants to give him a mental break for a few days. |
Our View: Ortiz has just looked lost this season and has infuriated many a fantasy owner, who likely paid a pretty penny for him in their draft. The Sox realize he's not right, so hopefully this mental break does the trick and he gets back on track. But there is the other side of the coin that, at 33, he may just be done. He is coming off of an 0-for-7 game where he stranded 12 runners, and has yet to homer this season. If you believe he has something left in the tank it's a great time to buy low.
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| The Boston Globe is reporting that David Ortiz is not in the Red Sox' lineup on Friday. He will be replaced by Rocco Baldelli as the team's DH in the game. |
Our View: As bad as Ortiz was last night, it is probably a good thing that he is out tonight. He still hasn't hit a home run this season, and with his only fantasy eligibility being at DH in most leagues it is probably a good idea to keep him on the bench for now.
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| David Ortiz reported no issues with his previously ailing left wrist during or after Wednesday's game against the Angels, according to the Boston Globe. He went 1-for-4 at the plate. |
Our View: This is good news, but Ortiz is still yet to hit his first homer of 2009, and carries an anemic .225 batting average.
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| David Ortiz was struck on the wrist by a pitch in Tuesday's battle with the Angels, but does not expect to miss any time, according to the Providence Journal. He said, "It will be fine. It feels fine now. You never know –– sometimes you wake up sore. But it is fine now."
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Our View: This is encouraging, but Ortiz is not helping fantasy clubs right now, with no homers and a dismal .225 average over 102 at-bats.
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| David Ortiz returned to the lineup Friday against the Rays after being scratched Thursday with a stiff neck, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Ortiz went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, and his season average dropped to .225. He is yet to launch his first homer of the season, and has struck out 24 times over 102 at-bats. He remains an unstable fantasy option among designated hitters.
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| David Ortiz was scratched from Thursday's lineup with a stiff neck, but he is expected to be fine, according to the Boston Globe. Manager Terry Franconca said, "I think David will be OK. He looked a little better after the game." |
Our View: Francona is hopeful that Big Papi could play tonight against the AL East rival Rays. Ortiz is off to a dismal start with no homers and a .225 average over 102 at-bats though.
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| The Providence Journal reports that David Ortiz was scratched from Thursday's lineup due to a stiff neck. Julio Lugo will be the DH. |
Our View: Ortiz has struggled all season long and has yet to hit a home run in 105 at bats. His swing seems to have been zapped of its power ever since long-time teammate and friend Manny Ramirez was dealt to the Dodgers.
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| David Ortiz had a double and two RBI on Wednesday in the Red Sox' 7-3 win over the Twins in the second game of their doubleheader. Ortiz bumped his average up to .220 with the hit. |
Our View: Ortiz is showing signs of breaking out of his slump, and his double tonight is evidence of that. He was still only 1-for-4, but there is no place to go but up for Big Papi at this point.
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| David Ortiz had a triple and a double on Monday in the Red Sox 12-1 win over Baltimore. Ortiz added a run and two RBI, while raising his average to .196. |
Our View: Today was a good day for Big Papi, not just because he is almost hitting .200, but because he drove the ball the other way with power, something he has failed to do up until today. Hopefully for Ortiz owners this is a sign of good things ahead. Wait and see for now, and if you have another option at the utility position you should go with it until Papi heats up.
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| David Ortiz continued to struggle on Sunday, going 0-for-4 against Baltimore and dropping his average to .170. |
Our View: You have to wonder how much longer the Red Sox will allow a struggling Big Papi to man up the three-spot in their lineup when they have a guy like Jason Bay batting sixth. While there's certainly no way you should drop Ortiz, you may want to think about benching him at this point until he regains his form.
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| David Ortiz is having trouble with above average fastballs, according to FoxSports. The DH is hitting only .176/.293/.206 through nine games this season. |
Our View: Ortiz's numbers have been in decline for the past two seasons, and it shouldn't be a surprise to see that trend continue. He remains the club's cleanup option for now, but he could be dropped in the order if his struggles continue.
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| David Ortiz feels healthy and is swinging freely again, and without fear that the pain and clicking will return on a check or awkward swing, according to the Boston Globe. He said, "I know how to hit. I hit before. That is something you do not forget. It is a totally different situation when you go to the plate thinking about if this swing, if I swing right now my hand is going to hurt. It is too much thinking. Just go out there and see the ball and hit it."
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Our View: Ortiz was limited to 23 homers over 109 games due to a wrist injury last season, but should bounce back in 2009 as the top power source in Boston's lineup. Ortiz hit 177 homers from 2004-07.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a home run in Boston's 9-4 spring training win over Minnesota. |
Our View: Big Papi is 3-for-7 over his last two games and is hitting .313 this spring. He still makes for an excellent fantasy option, if you can handle the fact that he is merely a DH.
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| David Ortiz was 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 11-8 win over the Cardinals. He's hitting .310 this spring. |
Our View: It looks like the days of 40 homers and a .330 average are behind Ortiz, but he still has some pop in his bat. He's the top DH out there, but unfortunately that's all he qualifies for.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with three RBI in Tuesday's 9-5 win over Minnesota in the Grapefruit League. He hit a single and a two-run homer, his second of the spring. |
Our View: Ortiz looks to be healthy, and should be fine to target as a No. 1 designated hitter in fantasy drafts.
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| David Ortiz clubbed his first spring home run Friday night against Yankee starter Chien-Ming Wang. He finished Boston's 8-4 win 1-for-3 with two RBI. |
Our View: Big Papi was the catalyst for the Boston offense Friday night, as his two-run blast set the tone for a seven-run second inning.
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| David Ortiz covered first base for the Dominican Repulic in the World Baseball Classic battle with the Netherlands one day after telling Newsday that he is not a first baseman, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Skipper Terry Francona reiterated that Big Papi's health is not a concern despite dealing with some soreness in his left shoulder when he throws. Ortiz looks to be fine to draft as the No. 1 fantasy DH for 2009.
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| Skipper Terry Francona indicated that David Ortiz is feeling fine despite a contrary report on ESPN Deportes speculating that Ortiz was suffering from muscle tightness, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: The Red Sox are not concerned with Big Papi, and he should be fine to target as the No. 1 designated hitter in fantasy drafts.
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| David Ortiz was unable to play first base for the Dominican Repbulic in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday due to a sore left shoulder, according to ESPN. |
Our View: Ortiz didn't play in the field at all with the Red Sox last season and it's doubtful he would this season. Keep an eye on his performance during the WBC to see if the injury has any effect on his production.
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| After missing a couple of days due to a sore left shoulder, David Ortiz returned to the field on Saturday, according to the Boston Globe. He took batting practice and caught some balls at first base. |
Our View: The DH should be healthy come the regular season, but there's always a chance that the shoulder nags him for a longer period of time. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious. Regardless, Ortiz's power numbers have been fading for the past couple of seasons, so take that into account if you're considering him at the draft table.
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| David Ortiz missed his second straight day of camp Friday due to soreness in his left shoulder, according to ESPN. |
Our View: He is feeling better today, and manager Terry Francona noted that he is merely feeling the effects from throwing during fielding practice earlier in the week. The team is not concerned and Ortiz expects to return to full activity over the weekend.
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| David Ortiz sat out of camp Thursday due to sleeping on his shoulder the wrong way, according to the Boston Globe. Skipper Terry Francona said, "I think he could have been out here yesterday. He is a designated hitter. He does not have a whole lot to do with our pickoffs and things like that. I do not think on Feb. 19 it is real pivotal. I thought he could get more out of staying inside." |
Our View: He is expected to return to camp today, and should be fine. He should be the first DH taken off the board in fantasy drafts for 2009.
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| ESPN.com reports that David Ortiz is in favor of harsher steroid testing policies and suspensions. The slugger says that the testing should not be a random selection of players, but that every player should get tested multiple times throughout the season. He also feels that violators should miss an entire season for a first-time offense as opposed to a 50-game suspension. |
Our View: From 1997 to 2002, Ortiz hit one home run per 25.5 at-bats. From 2003-2006, he managed a home run for every 12.7 at-bats. In the two seasons since, a dinger has come every 16.6 at-bats. The 33-year-old hopes to prove that his wrist injury from 2008 will not linger this season, but there is certainly a lot of risk tied to him. That, and his power surge from 2003-2006 appears to be a thing of the past.
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| Manager Terry Francona has not seen David Ortiz since late December, but the reports on his conditioning and health have been good, according to the Boston Globe. Francona said, "Some guys have laid some eyes on him in the Dominican, and he looks tremendous. I am excited to see David because that would be great news for us." |
Our View: This is encouraging regarding his recovery from a wrist injury. He should be safe to draft as the No. 1 designated hitter in fantasy leagues.
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| The AP reports that David Ortiz still intends to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He is hoping his injured wrist is 100 percent in time for the tournament. "I have been swinging some and my injured wrist has not bothered me since last year,” he told The Associated Press by e-mail Thursday. “Just as I promised, if I’m healthy, I will join the team.” |
Our View: The Red Sox and fantasy owners would probably rather see him skip the event. His numbers were down last season, primarily due to just 109 games played. Keep an eye on his performance and his spring training to see if there are any signs that the wrist is still a problem.
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| Jim Rice was elected into the MLB Hall of Fame on Monday, according to the Associated Press. It was Rice's 15th year on the ballot and he would've had to get in through the veterans committee if he failed to make it this year. He got 76.2 percent of the vote, while needing 75 percent in order to get in. |
Our View: Rice was one of the most dominant players of his era, batting .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBI during his 16 years, all of which were with the Red Sox. He also won the 1978 AL MVP and played in eight all-star games.
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| The Red Sox will change their road uniforms in 2009, sporting a look similar to the one they wore in the mid-80s, according to Yahoo Sports. |
Our View: Maybe the Red Sox want to clinch their next World Championship in a different uniform, after they clinched their two previous ones on the road in St. Louis and Denver.
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| David Ortiz commented that his wrist is feeling better and he is about a month away from swinging a bat again, according to the Associated Press. He spent the last month resting his wrist. |
Our View: The inflammation is gone and he is expected to make a full recovery heading into next season.
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| Designated hitter David Ortiz will not need offseason surgery on his left wrist. Doctors believe rest will allow Ortiz to get back to 100 percent. "He's 32 years old," general manager Theo Epstein tells The Providence Journal. "We see no reason he can't be one of the most dominant batters in baseball." |
Our View: Big Papi was out from May 31 through July 25 due to a partially torn tendon in the wrist, and he battled soreness after his return. His 2009 fantasy value will be slightly depressed as a result, but he shouldn't slip too far. As Epstein notes, Ortiz should be able to return to his dominant ways.
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| David Ortiz went 0-for-3 with two struck outs and left three runners on base as Boston lost 3-1 to the Rays on Sunday in Game 7. |
Our View: Ortiz hit a mere .174 in the ALCS and hit just one home run in the No. 3 spot of Boston's order.
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| David Ortiz only got one hit in his five at-bats on the night, but it was a huge one: a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that made the score 7-4 Rays. |
Our View: The homer was key, as it gave Boston an immediate shot in the arm, and thoughts of a comeback became realistic.
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| David Ortiz got his first hit of the ALCS, a triple nonetheless, as the Red Sox fell 4-13 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. |
Our View: He is now 1-for-12 in the series. The Red Sox definately need his bat to wake up if they hope to get back into this series.
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| David Ortiz went hitless in four at-bats in the Red Sox 9-1 demolition at the hands of the Rays in Game 3 of the ALCS. |
Our View: Ortiz is now 0-for-10 in the ALCS, and 4-for-30 in this year's playoffs. Boston will certainly need more production from Big Papi if they want to advance.
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| David Ortiz stretched his hitting streak in AL division series games to 12 with his ninth-inning RBI single. |
Our View: Ortiz lives for clutch moments and the playoffs are full of them. Expect another big postseason from Big Papi.
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| David Ortiz and his mates will try to succeed in the playoffs, though it might be more difficult than normal because of the fact that Manny Ramirez plays with the Dodgers now, according to The Providence Journal. "No question, not having Manny behind me makes pitchers and managers think differently about pitching to me," said Ortiz. "But I think the good news is that we're getting done without him. Kevin Youkilis has earned respect." |
Our View: Yu bet Youkilis stepped up as he hit .312-29-115 with a .958 OPS, a very Ramirez-like line. Youkilis obviously doesn't get the respect that Manny did, but that doesn't mean he has failed to produce when given the chance.
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| David Ortiz was penciled into tonight's lineup at first base, but he will now get the night off following a rain delay, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Sean Casey is likely to take his place at first. Ortiz would have been making his first start of the season at first base.
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| David Ortiz hit his 22nd home run of the year in the Red Sox 3-0 victory over the Blue Jays. It was the slugger's only hit in four at-bats. |
Our View: Though the homer was Ortiz's fourth in his last six games, he has been a dud in September, as his average went from .274 September 2 to it's current .263.
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| David Ortiz did his part in the Red Sox 10-3 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night. Big Papi connected for two home runs which accounted for all three of Boston's RBI. |
Our View: The lefty slugger now has 18 RBI in 16 games and seems determined to carry his team into the postseason. Expect similar numbers the rest of the way.
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| Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein signed a contract extension with the team, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Epstein's contract was set to expire after this season, and the team clearly could not afford to lose him.
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| Even with the lefty Scott Kazmir on the hill, David Ortiz got the start and hit a first inning home run, his 19th of the year. |
Our View: Ortiz has eight RBI over his last five games and is within 19 RBI of another season of 100+ RBI.
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| David Ortiz is getting the night off on Tuesday. Jeff Bailey will serve as the DH against Scott Kazmir and the Rays, the Boston Globe notes. |
Our View: Is Big Papi following in Manny's footsteps and dodging the Rays ace?
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| David Ortiz said, "My hand is not OK. It's still bothering me," according to RedSox.com. However, he did say that pain was not the problem, just occasional clicking, and he will play through it. |
Our View: Ortiz has had a sub-par season for fantasy owners, due in large part to the wrist injury he suffered earlier in the year. Hopefully, Ortiz will make it through the year without any further time missed.
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| David Ortiz got on base four times, with three hits in three at-bats plus a walk in the Red Sox 14-2 beat down of the Orioles. He also hit two doubles and drove in four runs. |
Our View: Ortiz had seen his average drop below .250 on August 8, but has slowly raised it, and it now sits at .270, which should please fantasy owners.
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| The Texas Rangers will be happy when they do not have to face Red Sox DH David Ortiz any more. He homered against them again on Thursday, his third in three games, and for the night went 1-for-2 with three RBI in Botson's 10-0 win. |
Our View: Ortiz has gone 5-for-10 with three home runs and five runs scored against Texas in his last three games, restoring faith in the hearts of fantasy owners concerned about his creaky wrist.
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| We started with two three-run homers by David Ortiz in the first, followed by eight runs in response from Texas in the fifth, followedy by anotther five in the sixth, only to see Boston score four in the bottom of the eighth to get the 19-17 win. Ortiz finished going 3-for-4 at the dish with two walks, the two homers in the 1st, six RBIs and four runs scored. |
Our View: Veteran hurler Javier Vazquez had it working off the mound this evening, pushing his White Sox to an impressive 9-0 win over the Royals. Vazquez pitched eight innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and earning 10 strikeouts.
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| It's already an exciting night for Red Sox Nation, posting a whopping 10 runs in the 1st inning against the Texas Rangers, an effort built on two home runs and six RBIs by David Ortiz, according to FoxSports.com. |
Our View: The six ribs ties an American League record. We'll update the game in full upon completion, but the quick jump by Boston is certainly worthy of applause.
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| After missing Monday night's game with a "tender, stiff" wrist, David Ortiz is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Boston, reports the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Boston is tracking Ortiz's health on a day-by-day basis. Expect him to receive a day off every now and then to rest his sore wrist.
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| Updating an earlier story, David Ortiz was not in the lineup on Monday night due to "slight soreness" in his wrist, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: We are still trying to get our hands on a more definitive report, but for how it appears that he has suffered some type of setback though it may be somewhat minor.
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| David Ortiz will not be in the Red Sox lineup on Monday night, though we do not yet know the reason, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: It is possible that he is just getting a rest, but there is also the possibility that there could be something going on with his wrist. Stay tuned for an update.
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| David Ortiz went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Red Sox loss to Chicago. |
Our View: Tough August for Ortiz. He had a nice day on Saturday, but Sunday's performance means the lefty slugger is hitting just .154 for the month. Stick with him, though. He's too good not to bounce back soon.
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| A plethora of offense and a devastating injury to the opposing starter allowed the Boston Red Sox to enjoy a booming offensive effort, getting the 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. The effort was led by designated hitter David Ortiz, going 3-for-5 at the plate to total three RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Ortiz was hitting a miserable .107 through August coming into tonight and has homered just once since returning from injury.
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| David Ortiz will be in the lineup when the Red Sox face the Royals on Tuesday night. The slugger felt a "click" in his left wrist on Monday. "It's all right," Ortiz informs the Boston Globe. "I've got to deal with it the rest of the season. I'm gonna have good days and bad days... someday it feels right, sometimes it didn't." |
Our View: Big Papi is only 1-for-15 in August. Fantasy owners may not get 100 percent out of the slugger down the stretch, but we expect his bat to be better than it has been since he came off the DL.
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| David Ortiz tweaked his ailing left wrist in the ninth inning of Monday night’s 4-3 loss to the Royals, reports the Boston Herald. “My last at-bat, it kind of pulled back a little bit,” Ortiz said of his wrist. “You feel that click and you get a little concerned about it.” |
Our View: Ortiz didn't know if the problem would affect his status for any upcoming games. Stay tuned for updates on this situation.
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| It might be a good idea to go ahead and double check to make sure that David Ortiz is in your fantasy lineup. The Red Sox take on Kansas City tonight, and against the Royals starting pitcher, Gil Meche, Ortiz is 9-for-20 (.450) with a 1.100 slugging percentage and four home runs. |
Our View: Ortiz has just one hit in his last 10 at-bats, but history says that will change this evening.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI against the Yankees on Sunday. It was his first major league home run since returning from a wrist injury two days ago. |
Our View: Ortiz fans have to be happy to see that his power hasn't diminished. A healthy Ortiz can do wonders for your offense. His average is currently just .261 but should continue to climb. He has hit .300 or better in three of his last four seasons.
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| David Ortiz is officially penciled into Friday night's lineup against the Yankees, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He will bat third as the DH, and should return to fantasy lineups.
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| David Ortiz will return to the Boston Red Sox lineup on Friday, according to MLB.com. "I can't wait. I'm very excited," said Ortiz. |
Our View: Fantasy owners should be excited as well. Be sure to get him back in your fantasy lineups immediately. Despite his early struggles, he still has the potential to post great numbers.
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| David Ortiz said that he is feeling better but that he is not yet at 100%, according to the Boston Globe. “It’s not an easy injury to deal with,” he said. “But other than that, I feel fine. I think I’m where I’d like to be. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not 100 percent. But I’m close.” |
Our View: Ortiz would like to be activated for the Red Sox game on Friday, and until we hear otherwise, we assume he will be, though it is clear that you shouldn't expect him to return to his bashing ways once activated.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run for Double-A Portland on Monday. He is on the DL due to a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. The Red Sox plan to activate him on Friday. |
Our View: Ortiz failed to homer for the first time in four games. Maybe he forgot his Vitamin Water.
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| David Ortiz took a day off from his rehab assignment on Sunday, and is expected to resume play tonight with the Double-A Sea Dogs, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: He has impressively homered in each of his first three rehab outings, and remains on pace to rejoin the Red Sox for their series against the rival Yankees, that begins Friday at Fenway Park. Ortiz will be penciled back into the third spot in Boston's lineup, which could drop JD Drew to seventh.
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| David Ortiz belted his third home run Saturday in as many rehab games for Triple-A Pawtucket. Big Papi has been sidelined since he partially tore the tendon sheath in his left wrist. |
Our View: Ortiz will take tomorrow off and then go to Double-A Portland for three rehab games. He should be back with the Sox by late next week.
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| The Red Sox may be struggling on the field tonight, but the news from Pawtucket is sure to make them happy as David Ortiz , working through rehabilitation, homered for the second time in two nights, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Ortiz's leadoff homer in the fourth inning on Thursday night ignited a seven-run explosion and Pawtucket went on to rout Toledo, 15-6. The 32-year-old left-handed slugger struck again on Friday, coming to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Pawtucket leading 3-1, and runners on second and third with two outs. The nature of the Ortiz's injury has delayed his return. He has had trouble holding onto his bat after a swing, but it appears he is on track and could be back in Boston sooner rather than later.
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| David Ortiz continued his rehab work, and concentrated on hitting the ball to left field in batting practice, while knocking three balls over the fence, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: Ortiz is getting ever closer to returning, which will provide a boost to the Red Sox and fantasy owners, who can expect him to raise his .252 average in the season's second half.
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| David Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in his first rehab outing, and made a few comments regarding his performance, according to the Boston Globe. When asked about his timing (which was a top priority heading into the game), he said, "I saw pitches. I chased a few high fastballs, but other than that, I was taking those bad pitches. That’s how you work on your timing." He also commented on his home run by adding, "That's my game. To be able to swing like that when I have an injury before that I can't even hold on to my bat, it's a good feeling."
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Our View: Big Papi is expected back in Boston for the July 25-27 series against the rival Yankees, and this was an encouraging start for him in his rehab.
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| David Ortiz finished his first rehab start 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: The Red Sox really could not hope for much better. Big Papi was lifted in the sixth for a pinch runner.
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| Updating a previous report, it now appears that David Ortiz (wrist) will play four games with the Pawtucket Sox starting tonight, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: We can't say we are shocked to see this after seeing Ortiz swinging in batting practice at the All-Star game. Ortiz should return, barring a setback, within 7-10 days.
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| The original plan was for David Ortiz to play in two rehab games for Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday and Saturday before resting on Sunday. He would then go to Double-A Portland for three more games, according to the Providence Journal. But Big Papi has expressed a desire to play through the weekend, and manager Terry Francona said that could happen. |
Our View: If all goes well, Ortiz could be back with the Sox by next weekend.
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| David Ortiz took batting practice before the All-Star game and said he is ready to begin his rehab assignment, according to the Boston Herald. He will play for Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday. "I think we've been right on all the time how we feel (about Ortiz's diagnosis)," said manager Terry Francona. "If he does what he's supposed to, he's going to be fine. It's not to say he's not going to feel it because there's a difference between feeling it and hurting it." |
Our View: Big Papi, who is coming back from a left wrist injury, will probably need at least a week's worth of rehab action before returning to Boston's lineup.
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| David Ortiz looked strong while he took three rounds of batting practice with the AL All-Stars Monday, according to the Boston Globe. He hit several balls out, some of which landed in the upper deck. |
Our View: This is encouraging news as he gears up to begin his rehab stint with Pawtuckett this weekend. As previously noted, he is scheduled to rejoin the Red Sox July 25.
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| Red Sox manager Terry Francona confirms that David Ortiz is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the club on July 25, MLB.com reports. The slugger will begin a rehab stint on Thursday. He has been out since May 31 due to an injured left wrist. |
Our View: July 25 is a Friday, so fantasy owners with weekly lineup changes may need to wait one more turn before activating Big Papi.
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| David Ortiz is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Pawtuckett on Thursday as he continues to recover from his wrist injury, according to the Providence Journal. Ortiz said, "I’m going to need eight to 10 games. You’ve got to remember, I haven’t played in about five weeks."
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Our View: The source suggets he could be activated in time for Boston's return to Fenway, July 26, for the start of a three-game set with the rival Yankees.
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| David Ortiz, who is recovering from a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, said he'll likely begin a minor league rehab assignment next week at Triple-A Pawtuckett, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: He is encouraged by the progress he is making, and was able to take batting practice for a second consecutive day.
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| Terry Francona is pleased with David Ortiz's progress in his return from a wrist injury, according to the Boston Globe. Ortiz will continue to take batting practice throughout the week. |
Our View: Ortiz is still a couple of weeks, at least, away from returning to the lineup.
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| David Ortiz was taking batting practice on the field for the first time since being placed on the disabled list with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, this according to the Providence Journal.
The report noted that on his fifth swing Big Papi crushed a home run just over the Red Sox bullpen.
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Our View: Ortiz reportedly left the cage after his seven swings in the first round with a smile on his face. Ortiz has progressed from swinging off a tee -- to soft tossing and a BP session in a cage -- when in New York on Sunday. Ortiz hopes to return to active duty sometime after the All Star break.
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| The starting squad for the AL in the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium has been announced, according to the Boston Globe. The starters will be Joe Mauer (catcher), Kevin Youkilis (first base), Dustin Pedroia (second base), Derek Jeter (shortstop), Alex Rodriguez (third base), with outfielders Josh Hamilton, Manny Ramirez, Ichiro Suzuki, and closed out by DH David Ortiz. |
Our View: Ortiz was voted a starter despite only playing in 54 games, and already announced he won't be able to participate due to his ailing wrist. The Red Sox lead with four members respresented as starters.
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| David Ortiz could be ready for a minor league rehab assignment after the All-Star break, The Providence Journal reports. The slugger has been out since the end of May due to a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. "After this All-Star break we're going to have to gear him up and get him some at-bats live," manager Terry Francona says. "How we do that will be determined by what we feel is in his best interest." |
Our View: This report is pretty vague. There's no guarantee that Ortiz will be ready for a rehab assignment after the break, but the Sox will simply start to consider it.
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| David Ortiz took his first swings since May on Tuesday, according to the Boston Herald. “He did well, really well,” said Magadan, who observed the slugger take 60 swings off a tee Monday. “Today was supposed to be an off day for David but he felt good enough where he wanted to take some more swings. So I just said, ‘Let him go at it.’ ” |
Our View: “I want to play,” Ortiz said. “It’s tough. I’m not used to it.” We fantasy owners understand all too well. Do not get too excited. It is unlikely he will return until well after the All-Star break.
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| Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz plans to attend next month's All-Star Game, this according to the AP, but won't play and risk a setback to his injured left wrist.
"I'm going to go to the All-Star Game. Show respect for the fans," Ortiz said Monday night before a game against Tampa Bay. "I'm not going to be able to play."
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Our View: Ortiz has been hitting of a tee, and could move to soft toss sessions by the end of the week.
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| After hitting off a tee, David Ortiz said he was still weeks away from playing, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Ortiz has not suffered any setbacks, and will likely go on a rehab stint before returning.
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| The Boston Globe reports Red Sox DH David Ortiz hit off a tee in front of doctors Tuesday in Boston, and will repeat the process today. |
Our View: Manager Terry Francona said things are progressing as normal, and Ortiz has not suffered any setbacks.
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| David Ortiz will join the team on its upcoming road trip, according to Jeff Goldberg of the Courant News. |
Our View: No word yet on when he will be back in action, but it appears that he is getting closer. We will continue to monitor his rehab.
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| David Ortiz (wrist) could be cleared to begin swinging the bat as early as late next week, according to MLB.com. "David is doing real well," said manager Terry Francona. "He's doing his strength and conditioning, doing mobility with his wrist. I think there's a hope that he may be a week to 10 days from picking up a bat." |
Our View: There is still no timetable for his return to active duty as it will completely depend on his continued progress.
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| David Ortiz had a good day with his range of motion exercises Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe. Big Papi, who is coming back from a torn tendon sheath in left wrist, has had the cast removed from his wrist and has three different splints he wears in its place. |
Our View: The team's medical staff is optimistic regarding Papi's return, but they will not place a timetable on it. He has yet to swing a bat, so obviously he's not out of the woods yet.
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| Updating an earlier report, David Ortiz did have the cast removed from his wrist on Monday and the good news is that he will now have his limb placed into a removable forearm splint, according to the Boston Herald. “It’s a very good sign because they weren’t going to do that until he was pain-free,” manager Terry Francona said. |
Our View: The upshot of this news is that Ortiz will be able to begin range of motion exercises immediately which, theoretically, should help to shorten his return to active duty, though no timetable has of yet been established for him to begin to swing the bat.
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| David Ortiz is scheduled to have his cast removed on Monday, in order to have his injured left wrist examined, according to the Boston Herald. A decision will then be made regarding keeping the cast off and beginning the rehab process. Ortiz sustained a torn tendon sheath in the left wrist, and there is a chance that another cast will be put on the wrist as a precautionary measure for a few more days, especially if the wrist remains tender. Manager Terry Francona said, "The pain level is actually gone, which is good news. That’s basically what we’ve been told is kind of the criteria for cast removal because the sheath will heal over. You go off the pain because they say when the pain goes away, he’s going to be OK."
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Our View: We will keep you posted on the team's decision for his next step following his cast removal and exam today.
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| David Ortiz's arm-length cast removed Sunday and was replaced with a half-cast that went from his hand to just below his elbow, according to MLB.com. Big Papi is recovering from a partial tear of the ECU tendon sheath in his left wrist. "It's only been a week," Ortiz said. "The only change is if they don't want my elbow and my shoulder to be going too crazy after a while. I had a problem sleeping with that one cast. This will take it easy on the rest of my arm." |
Our View: The Red Sox have not set a timetable for Ortiz's return, but Big Papi is hoping to come back by early July.
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| The Boston Herald reports that Dr. Thomas Graham, who is collaborating with the Red Sox on the treatment of David Ortiz' injured wrist, has examined the slugger’s MRI results and the news is good.
Graham believes there is a “high percentage chance” that Ortiz will be able to avoid surgery.
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Our View: Neither Graham nor the Red Sox will commit to a timetable for Ortiz’ return, but the injury is being compared to that of Pat Burrell's, an ailment that will take at least a month of recovery time. This is best-case scenario according to the report.
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| GM Theo Epstein said that slugger David Ortiz will be in a cast for two-to-three weeks as he recovers from his wrist injury, according to the Boston Herald. Epstein noted, "The integrity of Ortiz’ tendon hasn’t been compromised at all. That’s why the doctors are pretty confident that to immobilize it in this hard cast for a period of time, there’s a pretty significant chance it will heal itself in that time period, and we’ll know it will have because David will be pain-free and not tender."
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Our View: Epstein did not speculate how long Ortiz will be out of action. He doesn't know when Ortiz will be able to swing the bat with sufficient torque, and his prognosis depends solely upon how he feels once the cast is removed.
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| It has been reported that David Ortiz would require at least a month on the DL, but Ortiz hopes to be back from his wrist injury in three weeks, according to MLB.com. He will sport a cast on the wrist for the next 2-3 weeks. "The doctor says 70 to 80 percent of the people that have this, when they get a cast, it normally goes back," Ortiz said. "I have clicking when I move my hand. If the pain goes away, that's the main key. If the pain goes away and I still have the clicking, then I can probably play through it and maybe fix it after the season. Otherwise, if I still have the pain, I'm going to be out. If I have surgery, it's probably going to be the whole season." |
Our View: Big Papi is probably just being optimistic. You should assume he'll be out a month still, but the test will be how sore he feels after removing the cast.
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| David Ortiz expects to wear a cast on his left wrist for two to three weeks, according to the AP. He's hoping the cast will allow the wrist to heal sufficiently to get him back in the lineup soon. Ortiz tore the sheath that surrounds his tendon on a swing Saturday. |
Our View: GM Theo Epstein said that once the cast is removed, a key indicator of the healing process will be how much tenderness Big Papi feels. Follow-up MRIs will also be done. Ortiz is expected to miss at least a month.
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| David Ortiz is expected to miss at least one month due to his left wrist injury. The slugger has a partial tear of the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon sheath, and a source informs the Boston Herald that Ortiz will immobilize the joint for the next month. If that doesn't work, he may face season-ending surgery. |
Our View: Sheesh. The news gets worse by the hour. Manny Ramirez can expect to continue playing the DH role in the near future, and the Red Sox outfield won't be as jammed. There's no way the Red Sox or fantasy owners can hope to replace Ortiz's production, though.
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| David Ortiz has landed on the 15-day DL due to a partially torn tendon in his left wrist, the AP reports. "Surgery is very unlikely," manager Terry Francona explains. "We'll certainly have more information (Tuesday)." The skipper did not want to speculate on a timetable for Ortiz's return. |
Our View: Between Ortiz, Travis Hafner, and Jim Thome, it's been a rough year for DHs. We hope to hear a timetable for Big Papi within the coming days. The Red Sox will likely continue to use Manny Ramirez at DH and Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, and Coco Crisp across the outfield. Brandon Moss could join that outfield group soon, too.
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| The Red Sox are trying to figure out the next move with David Ortiz, the Boston Globe reports. Spokesman John Blake informs the locals that the Ortiz, general manager Theo Epstein, and team doctors need to "evaluate a course of action." Ortiz underwent an MRI on his left wrist on Monday. |
Our View: If the MRI was clear, wouldn't the team say so? That's the big reason why this news doesn't sound good. We'll let you know when more information is available.
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| David Ortiz will undergo an MRI on his injured left wrist on Monday, according to the Boston Herald. Ortiz stated, "I’ve never felt anything like this before. I’ve been swinging my whole life. I just took a swing like I normally do, and pop."
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Our View: Initial X-rays, which were negative, had ruled out any type of crack in his hamate bone, although the MRI should definitively pacify those concerns. Ortiz had the hamate bone on his right hand removed in 1998 after cracking it. We will keep you posted on his test results.
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| David Ortiz is not in Sunday's lineup against the Orioles. He injured his left wrist on Saturday night and is day-to-day. The Boston Globe believes Ortiz will undergo an MRI at some point. X-rays taken on Saturday were negative. |
Our View: We hope Big Papi will talk to reporters after the game and give an update. Fantasy owners should tentatively plan on using Ortiz in the week ahead, and we'll provide updates as more news comes out.
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| David Ortiz underwent X-rays on his left wrist on Saturday night. The results were negative, the Boston Globe reports. "He took a swing and felt something in his wrist," manager Terry Francona explains. "It was very tender. That is what we know right now. Obviously, it is a concern. We will wait to hear what happened." |
Our View: We'll let you know when more updates are available. Fantasy owners in daily transaction leagues should expect Big Papi to sit on Sunday.
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| David Ortiz left Saturday night's game in the ninth inning against Baltimore after injuring his left hand, according to the AP. |
Our View: He sustained the injury while fouling off a Dennis Sarfate pitch. Sean Casey replaced Ortiz in the game, and no further information regarding the injury is yet available.
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| David Ortiz hit his 12th home run of the season and the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Monday night. Ortiz was 1-for-4 on the night with two runs scored. |
Our View: Ortiz now has 40 RBI and 33 runs scored on the season. Big Papi's batting average is lagging behind the rest of stellar stat lines -- at a puny .247 in 194 at-bats.
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| Boston DH David Ortiz was one of few hitting the ball today as the Red Sox suffered the 6-3 loss to Oakland. Big Papi went 1-for-3 with one walk and his 11th home run of the season. |
Our View: Papi left April with a batting average under .200. Now he's at .322 through the month of May with six homers and 18 RBIs.
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| David Ortiz has a good track record versus Gil Meche, tonight's opposing hurler for the Royals, according to MLB.com. Over his career, Ortiz is 7-for-17 (.412) with a double and four homers against Meche. |
Our View: Ortiz should have another strong outing, and has been hot as he is hitting .343 with five homers and 16 RBI over 18 games in May.
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| David Ortiz, who was batting .172 on April 29, and his sore right knee was the top conversation in the Boston media outlets, has improved his average to a season-high .250 in 17 games since. His three hits on Sunday has him hitting .344 (22 for 64) with six home runs, seven doubles, 11 walks, and 17 RBI in that span. |
Our View: Sunday's two home run game was the 31st multihomer session of his career.
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| David Ortiz hit two home runs and knocked in four runs for the Red Sox on Sunday. |
Our View: Ortiz has pushed his average up to .250 after a terrible start, one that is not reflected in his power numbers (10 home runs, 37 RBI). Ortiz is clearly back to being one of the top run producers in the game.
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| David Ortiz hit a three-run home run to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Brewers 5-3 on Saturday in the opener of a doubleheader. |
Our View: Ortiz' shot was his eighth of the season and pushed his RBI total to 32 on the year.
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| David Ortiz had two more hits on Thursday night and now has multiple hits in six of his last eight starts to raise his average to .239. |
Our View: That window to acquire Ortiz for below value is about closed, so make one last pitch if you want to add him to your squad before it's too late.
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| In case you haven't noticed, David Ortiz is once again, well David Ortiz, according to MLB.com. "He's getting it back," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I think he's taking more aggressive swings..." |
Our View: After a 3-for-43 start to the year, Ortiz is hitting .309 though his average still sits at .226 overall. Ortiz has 27 RBI though 31 games, so his struggles at the plate haven't stopped him from knocking in runs.
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| David Ortiz, who sat out of Sunday's game with a sore knee, helped the Red Sox beat the Tigers on Monday night with his sixth home run of the season. |
Our View: Ortiz hit the ball hard in most of his at-bats on Monday night, and looks to be breaking out of an April slump that has his average at a puny .225.
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| David Ortiz is back in the starting lineup on Monday after being held out Sunday with a sore knee. |
Our View: Ortiz is 4-for-24 with a double and a home run in his career against Bonderman, but he also has a good account of the strikezone. With the Tigers right-hander struggling with his command, all of the Red Sox hitters who know how to work the count are in the starting lineup tonight. Youkilis is also starting, and he is hitless (0-for-9) against Bonderman during his young career.
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| David Ortiz has a poor track record against Jeremy Bonderman, today's opposing hurler for Detroit, according to MLB.com. Ortiz is only 4-for-24 with a double, a home run, and five strikeouts over his career against the Tigers' righty. |
Our View: Ortiz is also battling his ailing knee, but you can't really sit him as he has six hits and three RBI over 13 at-bats in May.
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| David Ortiz was a late scratch for Sunday's game, and Manager Terry Francona commented on his ailing knee, according to the Providence Journal. Francona said, "He has that spot on his knee. I don’t know if you’d term it tendonitis, but he bruised it the other day. On a day when it’s wet and cold, a day game after a night game, he was just having trouble getting it loose . It’s going to be a long year. We can slide Youkilis in there (to the third spot in the order)."
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Our View: Ortiz missed two games last weekend against the Rays due to swelling in the knee. Ortiz will remain an injury risk as a fantasy prospect, and is only hitting .216, but does have five homers and 24 RBI over 29 games played.
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| David Ortiz was a late scratch for Sunday action due to tightness in his right knee, according to the Boston Herald. This is the same knee that was surgically repaired in the offseason and has been sore off and on this season. Manny Ramirez was switched from left field to DH, and Jacoby Ellsbury covered the spot in left field. |
Our View: Ortiz has been hot as he racked up eight hits over his last four games, and his knee shouldn't hinder his performance.
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| David Ortiz went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs in Saturday's 12-4 rout over Tampa Bay. |
Our View: Ortiz is only hitting .216 but has five homers with 24 RBI and 19 runs scored over 29 games. Ortiz has racked up eight hits over his last four games, and his average should continue to rise.
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| David Ortiz is hitting .318 with four homers and 17 RBI over the last two weeks, but his right knee is still giving him problems, according to the Boston Herald. "Sore," Big Papi said when asked how the knee was. "Hopefully it will go away the next couple of days because it's (expletive) sore." When asked if Ortiz will have to continue dealing with the pain, manager Terry Francona responded, "I think he will. I don't think it's realistic that he won't. He had his surgery, he's a big guy. He's not 22 years old. I think that's just the way your life is as you start progressing in your career. Sometimes we may have to give the guy the day off." |
Our View: Big Papi's play of late is encouraging, but you have to worry that his knee will limit his production over the long haul this season.
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| David Ortiz had two hits on Thursday night to raise his average to, gulp, .196. |
Our View: Ortiz has hits in nine of his last 11 games to boost his average up from .111, but it's shocking to see a sub .200 mark this far into the season. Still, Ortiz has produced 17 runs and 21 RBI, including 17 RBI in his last 11 games, so it's clear that he has fixed what was ailing him.
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| The batting average continues to disappoint, but DH David Ortiz is showing signs of life and was the voice of offense for the Red Sox in their 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Ortiz went 2-for-4 at the plate, hitting his fifth home run of the season to pick up his 21st RBI. |
Our View: Ortiz may be carrying a .184 batting average, but he has hit safely in all but three of his last 14 games.
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| David Ortiz is back in the lineup Tuesday after missing a couple games with a bruised knee, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Ortiz had treatment on the knee on Monday's off day and told manager Terry Francona he was good to go. Feel free to start him despite his .177 batting average.
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| David Ortiz was scratched from the starting lineup for Saturday night’s game against Tampa Bay, this according to the Associated Press. Ortiz is nursing a bruised right knee.
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Our View: Ortiz was injured diving into first base while attempting to beat out a double-play grounder on Friday night. Consider the Red Sox designated hitter day-to-day.
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| Boston DH David Ortiz is doing all he can to get out of his funk at the plate, and while his team fell 6-4 to the Angels this evening, Big Papi enjoyed a productive evening with the bat. Ortiz went 1-for-2 with two walks and his third home run of the season. |
Our View: The homer came in the fifth inning on the first pitch he saw from Jon Garland with Dustin Pedroia on base. It was Ortiz's 211th home run of his career with the Red Sox, 9th all-time for the franchise.
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| David Ortiz has a good track record against Jered Weaver, today's opposing hurler for the Angels, according to MLB.com. The Boston slugger is hitting 5-for-10 over his career against Weaver, with two homers. |
Our View: Ortiz is starting to come around following a slow start, as he went 2-for-4 with three RBI against Texas on Monday, and he should have another solid outing today.
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| David Ortiz continues to climb out of his early hole. The slugger went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI in Monday's win over the Rangers. |
Our View: Big Papi has now driven in 10 runs over the past four games. Didn't we tell you not to panic?
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| David Ortiz hit a grand slam on Friday night as he drove in five runs in the Red Sox 11-3 victory over the Rangers. |
Our View: Ortiz is still hitting only .134, but he now has nine RBI on the year. The hits will come, just continue to have patience with Ortiz.
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| David Ortiz went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles on Monday night. He entered the night 3-for-43 on the season. |
Our View: It's a start, right? It's only a matter of time before Big Papi clicks in.
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| As expected, David Ortiz will be back in the Red Sox lineup on Monday night, the Boston Globe confirms. Ortiz got the night off on Sunday to clear his head. |
Our View: Fantasy owners should obviously start Big Papi this week, even if he does enter the period hitting .070.
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| David Ortiz will get the night off on Sunday. "I just think it's the right thing to do," manager Terry Francona explains to the Boston Globe. "I don't know if you guys were in the room when he came in, but he came in kind of with a little bounce to his step, a little more light-hearted than he's been. He needed a break, that's the best way to put it." Ortiz adds that he needed a little mental break after his 3-for-43 start to the season. |
Our View: If a one-day break turns Ortiz back into the Big Papi of recent history, we're all for it. Heck, take two days, David. We remain relatively unworried about his slow start.
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| In the worst slump of his life, David Ortiz now sits at 3-for-43 on the season, a .070 batting average, after an 0-for-4 outing on Saturday. |
Our View: The lowlight of the day was a checked swing comebacker on a 85 mph Mike Mussina fastball on a 3-1 count. His knee certainly isn't at 100%, but still, this is ridiculous.
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| David Ortiz has a good track record against Chien-Ming Wang, tonight's opposing pitcher for the Yankees, according to MLB.com. Over his career against Wang, Ortiz is hitting 15-for-30 with four doubles, two home runs, and 10 RBI. This is good for him, as he is in need of a big game since he is only hitting .083 over 36 at-bats this season. |
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| David Ortiz has not fared very well against Jeremy Bonderman, today's opposing pitcher for Detroit, according to MLB.com. Ortiz is only 4-for-21 lifetime against Bonderman, with one home run, four RBI, and four strikeouts. Ortiz is only hitting .190 over 29 at-bats this season. |
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| David Ortiz hit his first home run of the season today, belting a 7th-inning offering from Alan Embree in the stands. Ortiz finished going 2-for-4 with one walk and two strikeouts, leaving three men on-base, to bring his seasonal batting average to .133. |
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| David Ortiz remains hitless this season as he went 0-for-4 against Oakland on Tuesday. Hopefully his surgically repaired knee is not hindering his swing in some way. |
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| David Ortiz talked about his surgically repaired knee on Monday, according to the Boston Globe. He stated, "I just keep working on my knee, man, you know. The surgery is kind of weird. It feels good one day and some other day it feels like [expletive]. I just have to fight through it. That's why I'm putting so much of this lotion on it." |
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| David Ortiz hit his first home run of the spring in Japan's bandbox, the Tokyo Dome, on Saturday morning.
According to MLB.com, Ortiz's homer wasn't nearly as far as the one that hit the right-field lights just below the roof during a tour with major league all-stars in November 2004. |
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| David Ortiz hasn't homered yet this spring, but he is pleased with how his surgically repaired right knee has held up, the Boston Globe reports. "I'm a little behind schedule," he says. "(The Japan trip) hurts me a bit. But I've just got to keep on working. I'll be all right. It might just take a little time." |
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| Following up on a previous David Ortiz note: it seems that after the team's designated hitter arrived at Red Sox camp today, he was sporting a hairdo that was somewhere between Chuck Berry and Little Richard noted courant.com.
The main topic of discussion, however, was the big left-hander's right knee. When asked about the condition of the injury Ortiz said, "I feel good. Getting almost 100 percent." During Tuesday's batting practice Big Papi hammered the ball to the opposite field -- center -- and pulled several gargantuan home runs over the right field fence. If his bat could talk it would have said Ortiz is ready to play. |
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| David Ortiz took some swings in the batting cage Tuesday and proclaimed himself nearly fully recovered from knee surgery, according to the AP. The DH had the procedure shortly after the World Series. Big Papi was a beast down the stretch and in the playoffs despite dealing with the knee condition, but it's nice to know he's feeling much better now, anyway. |
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| David Ortiz is recovering well from the arthroscopic procedure he had performed on his right knee in early November. "I think I will be training and running at full speed by January," Ortiz told the AP from the Dominican Republic. "It was a simple operation." At this point, there's no reason to think Ortiz won't be fully ready to go by spring training next year. |
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| The Boston Herald reports that it's still not certain David Ortiz will play first base when the Red Sox head to Colorado. "His bat is so important (and) there will be rest time pretty soon," Francona said. "But if we need to (rest him), we will." Whatever happens, one of Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell will be forced to sit each game in Colorado, which obviously isn't an ideal situation. |
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| Despite dealing with a painful right knee, David Ortiz is expected to man first base for the Red Sox when the team plays in Colorado, according to the Boston Herald. "He's done it in the past. Obviously he's a little more banged up now, but our medical staff is on it and we fully expect him to be able to deal with it," said general manager Theo Epstein. Ortiz won't have much range at first base, but the Red Sox really don't have a choice. The problem, though, is that with Ortiz at first, either Mike Lowell or Kevin Youkilis will be forced to the bench. |
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| David Ortiz almost dropped out of the ALCS because of his painful knee, according to ESPNdeportes.com. Ortiz says he will undergo surgery as soon as the season is over. He has taken a cortisone shot in order to be able to make it through the ALCS, but would rather not face the needle again for the World Series. |
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| David Ortiz has been feeling good since receiving a cortisone shot in his knee over the weekend, according to the Boston Globe. "I'll tell you what, after that cortisone shot, I feel that I don't have the pain I had," he said. "That pain was killing me, bro." Ortiz hit .396 with nine homers and 27 RBI in September, and he'll be looking to carry that hot streak into the postseason. |
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| David Ortiz got a little medical treatment on his knee over the weekend. He had a cortisone injection Saturday to help his knee get through the postseason, according to the Boston Globe. "I'll tell you what, these past couple of weeks I was hurting really bad," Ortiz said before Boston's 3-2 loss to the Twins in the regular-season finale. "[Saturday] was a day that I talked to the manager, [he] gave me a day off, I had a cortisone shot. I woke up feeling good today. So hopefully it'll stay like that. Because we're in the playoffs and you've got to bring everything you've got." Big Papi should be good to go when the Red Sox face the Angels in the ALDS. |
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| David Ortiz continues to deal with sore knee cartilage, and there's a solid chance he won't play Wednesday at Toronto. The Red Sox no doubt want to shield Big Papi from the notoriously-hard surface at the Rogers Centre, among other things. |
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| Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz rested his sore right knee Monday by opting to sit out against Scott Kazmir and the Devil Rays. "I'd rather take a day off, especially against a guy that's been owning you,” Ortiz told the Associated Press. |
Our View: Ortiz is 5-for-34 in his career against Kazmir. Expect him to be back in the lineup Tuesday.
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| David Ortiz was back in the lineup Friday after missing Wednesday's game because of a sore shoulder. Ortiz was examined by a team doctor and got a cortisone shot on Thursday. "He showed up early, hit and wanted to play," manager Terry Francona told the AP of his slugger. |
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| David Ortiz missed Wednesday's game due to his ailing shoulder. "When I swing and not make contact with a pitch, it hurts," he told the AP. "I think this couple of days will be good for me." Ortiz said the joint has been bothering him since he injured it July 20. While it's not a good sign that it's still causing him trouble, hopefully he'll get back in the mix on Friday after the Red Sox take Thursday off. |
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| David Ortiz (shoulder) is expected to in the lineup Wednesday nigh. "David's doing real well," manager Terry Francona told the AP. "I will be surprised if he doesn't play." Ortiz was able to take batting practice before Tuesday's game. "I'm feeling better," he said. Ortiz was injured when he slid into second base Friday night while trying to stretch a hit into a double. |
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| It may be a couple of more days before we see David Ortiz in Boston's lineup again. Manager Terry Francona said Ortiz might not be back in the mix before Wednesday's game, according to the Boston Globe. Big Papi has missed the past two games due to a strained shoulder and is in a holding pattern for the time being. |
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| David Ortiz missed his second straight game Sunday with a strained shoulder, according to the AP. An MRI exam taken Saturday showed no structural damage, and Ortiz said he expects to return to the lineup soon. |
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| David Ortiz is considered day-to-day with his shoulder strain, although he didn't play Saturday. An MRI on the shoulder came back negative. Although Boston's lead in the AL East has shrunk to 7.5 games, the Red Sox still aren't in a position where they need to rush Ortiz back into the lineup. Don't be surprised if Papi gets another day off Sunday. |
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| Manager Terry Francona said after Friday's game that David Ortiz's shoulder injury isn't serious, according to the AP. However, it's unclear if Ortiz will be in the starting lineup on Saturday. He suffered the injury while trying to stretch a single into a double. |
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| David Ortiz left Friday's contest against the White Sox with a left shoulder strain, according to the AP. He suffered the injury diving into second base while trying to stretch a single into a double. The severity of the malady is unknown at this time. Check back later for more details. |
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| David Ortiz has been playing with a torn meniscus in his right knee since the middle of the 2006 season, according to the AP. Ortiz told the media after Thursday's game that he hurt his knee during batting practice at Yankee Stadium last summer. He said he hasn't needed surgery because the knee is free of inflammation. "It wasn't anything major," Ortiz said. "I just kept playing through it last year. This year, it's been bothering me more than it used to." |
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| David Ortiz may be going under the knife this winter. The designated hitter told the Boston Herald that he'll probably need surgery because of chronic soreness in his right knee. "I'm not sure, but probably," Ortiz said. "I have to talk to the doctor about it and see what they want to do about it." Ortiz is dealing with a sore quad and hamstring, problems he believes is caused by his knee issues. He will undergo an MRI once he returns to Boston. David originally hurt the knee last year and it could be part of the reason his power has dipped this season. |
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| David Ortiz is not in Friday's starting lineup at Detroit, essentially so he can rest his sore quad. It's not clear if he'll be available as a pinch hitter. |
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| David Ortiz admits he's still playing through a sore quad, though he plans to stay in the lineup through the week and play in the All-Star Game, the Boston Herald reports. Ortiz hasn't been his dominant self of late, with just 13 hits in his last 65 at-bats. He's also got just four home runs since May 10. |
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| David Ortiz was ejected from Friday night's game against the Giants for arguing a called third strike in the first inning, according to the AP.
Ortiz complained only briefly to home plate umpire Tony Randazzo before heading back to the dugout. Randazzo tossed him shortly thereafter. |
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| With no designated hitter at Arizona, David Ortiz started at first base in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix Friday night, according to the AP. Manager Terry Francona said he would give Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis each a day off during the weekend. |
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| David Ortiz was back in the lineup Wednesday, as expected, after missing three games with tight hamstrings. Ortiz went 1-for-4. |
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| David Ortiz will be back in the lineup tonight. Ortiz has missed the previous three games because of tightness in his hamstrings that has been attributed to dehydration, according to the Boston Globe. |
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| David Ortiz sat out for the third consecutive game on Tuesday. He has been resting a "barking" hamstring that he attributed to dehydration. |
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| David Ortiz was held out of the starting lineup on Sunday due to sore hamstrings. "I wanted to give him today and let the medical people give him a little care," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told the AP. "Hopefully he'll bounce back and feel good tomorrow. I don't want him to limp for the next couple of weeks because we got greedy trying to get another game here." Francona also said Ortiz has had bouts of dehydration in the past week. |
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| David Ortiz missed the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers because he was feeling ill. He might have been better off missing the first game, too, as he was hitless in three at-bats. Hopefully, he will be ready to go on Friday. |
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| David Ortiz, who is batting just .133 with no home runs through the first four games, is not worried about his slow start, according to the Boston Herald. "I go through this every year,” he said. "The first five or 10 games, I always have to be fighting, fighting, fighting until I get my good way back at the plate and I get into a groove. I’m not frustrated yet. It’s too early. I’m very mechanical, so if I have one thing (with the swing) that’s going in the wrong direction when I’m hitting, it’s hard for me to get a hit." |
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| David Ortiz hit his 51st home run of the season in the first inning of Thursday’s game to break the Red Sox record for most home runs in a season, according to the AP. Ortiz hit the first pitch he saw from Johan Santana over the Boston bullpen in right-center field to break the record set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938. |
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| David Ortiz returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing a week because of heart palpitations. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. "Some fastballs got by him that don't normally get by him. That will change," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It was good to see him out there." |
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| The Red Sox announced Tuesday that David Ortiz has been cleared to play by doctors, according to the AP. He is expected to be back in the lineup tonight against the White Sox. |
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| David Ortiz, who has missed the last several games while being tested for an irregular heartbeat, is expected to return to the starting lineup tonight, according to the Boston Herald. "I feel good and I guess if everything goes well, I'll go in (tonight)," said Ortiz, who also also reported that he no longer has to wear heart monitor. "I can't wait to start playing, dude." |
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| David Ortiz worked out with the Red Sox before Monday's game, according to the AP. Ortiz fielded balls at first base and took some swings in the batting cage. He may play on Tuesday after wearing a heart monitor over the weekend. |
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| David Ortiz was originally planning on returning to the lineup on Saturday, but he has decided to follow the advice of his doctors and not return until after the weekend, according to ESPN.com. "There's nothing abnormal about my heart," Ortiz said. "But doctors would rather wait for final results of a test they are still performing on me, which won't be available until Monday." Ortiz has been dealing with an irregular heartbeat. |
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| David Ortiz said Thursday he is in good health and expects to return to the lineup Saturday, according to the AP. "My health is fine. The doctors have told me to rest today and practice Friday so I can be ready to return to the playing field on Saturday," Ortiz said. Ortiz had gone through some tests because of an irregular heart beat. |
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| David Ortiz appears to have a healthy heart and could return to action as soon as next week, according to the Boston Herald. He's been dealing with an irregular heartbeat. |
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| David Ortiz will remain at the hospital until Thursday as a precaution and for further tests on his heart, according to the AP. "David Ortiz is in the process of undergoing further testing to determine the cause of his symptoms," Red Sox medical director Thomas Gill said in a statement. "The testing and evaluation will continue throughout the remainder of this afternoon and evening. David will remain in the hospital Wednesday night. He is resting comfortably and is in good spirits." There's no timetable for Ortiz's return. |
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| Having returned to Boston, David Ortiz was admitted to a hospital last night for several days of testing to determine the source of his irregular heartbeat, according to the Boston Globe. "We really don't feel like he's going to keel over," said manager Terry Francona. "He was tested the other night. A lot of people have these things. [But] we can't chance this. No way." |
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| David Ortiz was scratched from Monday's lineup with an irregular heartbeat and will return to Boston today for additional testing, according to the Boston Herald. "We honestly think he's OK, but we can't play him like that," said manager Terry Francona. "He's going to go back to Boston (today) and he’s going to get a clean bill of health."" Ortiz was hospitalized last weekend with the same problem. |
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| Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he gave David Ortiz Sunday off because the slugger "has been kind of beat up," according to the Boston Globe. "You try so hard to not have him have the day off because he's so good, then all of a sudden we've got eight big games coming up," Francona added. |
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| Though the Red Sox say it isn't serious, David Ortiz has a sore back, according to the official team website. That is why he was given the day off on Thursday. "He's not hurt," said manager Terry Francona. "It just made sense to me. When he came back from the All-Star break he was tired, and that's not what you're looking for. That home-run hitting contest, part of me wasn't that sad when he fell out of it. I love him to death and I want him to get all the accolades he can get, but I knew he was going to be wiped out. And he was, I knew it." Ortiz isn't expected to miss any more games. |
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| David Ortiz got a routine day off on Thursday, according to the AP. Wily Mo Pena started at DH in his place. |
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