Ortiz glad to be home after surviving shooting

Former Red Sox BOSTON — slugger David Ortiz says he is glad to be home with family after a botched assassination attempt in his native Dominican Republic.

More than seven weeks after he was shot, Ortiz said on Instagram in his first public comments, “Being at home and look at my family celebrating that l’m here safe is priceless.” Ortiz was released from a Boston hospital on Friday.

He also thanked fans for their prayers. The post included pictures of a steak, pasta and grilled fish. Ortiz said, “Too bad l can’t crush food yet !!!! ”

Ortiz was shot in the back at a Santo Domingo nightclub June 9 by a hit man who police say was supposed to be targeting a different man. Ortiz was brought to Boston the next day and needed three operations before he was released.

Nationals ace Max Scherzer back to IL

Max Scherzer is back on the 10-day injured list, unwelcome news for the Washington Nationals as they try to catch the Atlanta Braves in the NL East while pushing for a wild card berth.

The Nationals announced Monday that Scherzer was placed on the IL with a minor rhomboid strain. It’s similar to the inflammation under his right shoulder that forced the ace right-hander to the IL for 19 days earlier this month.

Scherzer was dominant in June and won seven consecutive starts as Washington worked its way back into playoff contention following a 19-31 start. He returned from the IL last Thursday and allowed three runs in five innings in a no-decision against the Rockies. The next day, he had an MRI that revealed the injury. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is 9-5 with a 2.41 ERA.

Washington recalled righthander Erick Fedde from Double-A Harrisburg to take Scherzer’s place on the roster. Fedde was slated to start Tuesday night against the Braves in Scherzer’s rotation spot.