Ortiz glad to be back home
BOSTON — In his first public comments since a botched assassination attempt in his native Dominican Republic, former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said Monday that he’s glad to be home from the hospital and told his fans: “Big Papi will be back soon.”
Following an Instagram post with a statement issued through a Boston public relations agency, Ortiz said he faces several more weeks of recovery from the June 9 shooting at a Santo Domingo nightclub.
“Being at home and look at my family celebrating that lm here safe is priceless,” Ortiz said in the Instagram post, which included pictures of a steak, pasta and grilled fish. “Too bad l can’t crush food yet !!!! ”
Ortiz, 43, was shot in the back by a hired gunman who drove up on a motorcycle and fired at close range, hitting him in the torso, police said. They said the actual target was supposed to be another man.
Doctors in Santo Domingo removed his gallbladder and part of his intestine, and he was flown the next day on a Red Sox plane to Boston, where he had more surgery. Monday’s statement confirmed that Ortiz was released from Massachusetts General Hospital on Friday.
“I am feeling good, but know I need to do my rehab just like I did when I was recovering from injuries playing baseball,” Ortiz said in the statement, thanking doctors, Red Sox ownership and other members of the organization for their support.
“They are some of the
I’ve ever had,” he said. best teammates
Nationals: Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was placed back on the 10-day IL with a minor rhomboid strain. The injury is in the same area as the inflammation under his right shoulder that forced the Nats ace to the IL for 19 days earlier this month. The 35-yearold Scherzer (9-5, 2.41 ERA) was dominant in June and won seven consecutive starts as the Nats worked their way back into playoff contention. The right-hander returned from the IL on 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 most recent move to the IL is retroactive to Friday, which means Scherzer could pitch as soon as Aug. 5. “That’s not by any means a target date,” Nats manager Dave Martinez said. “We just want him to be 100 percent.”
Phillies: The Phillies acquired LHP Jason Vargas from the Mets for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart. Vargas, 36, is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA, winning his last three starts. He became expendable when the Mets acquired RHP Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays on Sunday for a pair of pitching prospects. Vargas, who’s expected to start this weekend against the White Sox, is 98-95 with a 4.26 ERA in 266 career starts and 21 relief appearances with five teams. He won 18 games for the Royals in 2017 and was part of their 2015 World Series championship team.
Brewers: The Brewers acquired RHP Jordan Lyles from the Pirates for pitching prospect Cody Ponce. Lyles, 28, was 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 appearances for the Brewers late last season, helping them win the NL Central. He agreed to a one-year, $2.05 million contract with the Pirates during the offseason and earned a rotation spot, going 5-7 with a 5.36 ERA. He won five of his first six decisions with the Pirates but has a 9.58 ERA in eight starts since May 28.
Cardinals, Dodgers: