Red Sox Ortiz In Boot With Bursitis, DL Unlikely
BOSTON (AP) -- Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz will be out indefinitely because of bursitis in his right heel that has forced his foot into a walking boot.
Ortiz, batting .300 with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs, was a late scratch from the opener Boston's day-night double-header with Tampa Bay Tuesday with what was first called an illness. Later, it was announced he had bursitis and manager Terry Francona said after the second game his No. 5 hitter needs rest.
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"He got an MRI and it showed the bursitis in his heel," Francona said. "We're going to get him out of his spikes for a couple of days, get him in a little bit of a walking boot, just to kind of alleviate some of the pressure."
As far as how long Ortiz will be out, Francona said, "We'll keep re-evaluating him, I'm sure, every couple of days, but we want to get him off that for a little while."
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"It's not going to be a DL but we're going to have to keep him out there for a little bit and we don't know what that (length of time) is."
The Red Sox also played the double-header, which they split, without shortstop Marco Scutaro, out with back stiffness.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
