Source: Ortiz out at least a month

Season-ending wrist surgery a possibility By Tony Massarotti Monday, June 2, 2008 - Updated 19m ago . If the Red Sox [team stats] are going to repeat as world champions this season and win their third title in five years, they may have to do it without David Ortiz After injuring his left wrist during the Red Sox’ victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, Ortiz learned yesterday he has ligament damage that will keep him sidelined indefinitely. According to a source, Ortiz’ wrist will be immobilized for roughly the next month to determine whether the injury can heal on its own. If it cannot, the Red Sox and Ortiz very well may face a harsh reality: Season-ending surgery. Though the Red Sox did not make any formal announcements concerning Ortiz before last night’s series finale with the Orioles, losing him for any significant period of time obviously deals a big blow to the club’s hopes of repeating as champions. Since Ortiz joined Manny Ramirez [stats] in the middle of the batting order in 2003, the Red Sox have a better record than any major league team but the New York Yankees while scoring 4,806 runs, also just a whisker behind the Yankees (4,808). During that time, of course, the Sox also have won two World Series and played in three American League Championship Series. Given the current reality concerning Ortiz, the Sox very well might have to explore the trade market for a replacement before the July 31 deadline. Of course, finding a replacement for Ortiz is a virtual impossibility given his place as perhaps the game’s premier run producer and one of its most accomplished clutch hitters. The possessor of a .252 batting average to go along with a team-leading 13 home runs and 43 RBI this season, Ortiz has not played in the last two games after going 1-for-3 with a home run Saturday night. He returned to Boston yesterday to undergo an MRI on his left wrist after the problem showed no immediate signs of improving over the weekend. Though Ortiz had injuries in the area of his right wrist before joining the Red Sox in 2003 - while with the Minnesota Twins, Ortiz broke his right hamate bone - he has had no difficulties with his left wrist until now. Since becoming a full-time starter with the Sox midway through that ’03 campaign, in fact, Ortiz has not spent a single day on the disabled list despite assorted nagging problems, primarily to his legs. Partly as a result of his durability - and mostly the result of his proficiency - Ortiz entered last night leading all major leaguers in RBI (685) since the start of the 2003 season. Despite the fact Ortiz did not begin playing regularly until midway through the 2003 campaign, only Alex Rodriguez (227 home runs) and Albert Pujols (225) had hit more home runs than Ortiz (221) during that span. Though he got off to an uncharacteristically slow start this season and was hitting only .172 on April 29, Ortiz has batted .324 with nine home runs and 23 RBI over his last 29 games. During that span, he has an on-base percentage of .412 and a slugging percentage of .640. Much of Ortiz’ early-season struggles were attributed to the aftereffects of arthroscopic surgery during the offseason to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. Currently in the second year of a four-year, $52 million contract he signed in 2006, Ortiz is due salaries of $12.5 million next year and $12.5 million in 2010. The Red Sox also hold a club option on his contract for 2011 valued at $12.5 million. As the Red Sox and their fans learned with Nomar Garciaparra in 2001, wrist surgery always is a last option for any accomplished hitter for fear the player will not quite return to form. Before undergoing wrist surgery, Garciaparra won consecutive AL batting titles but hitting a respective .357 and .372 in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Following the surgery, Garciaparra never again batted better than .310. He also lost a considerable amount of his power. [email protected] (5) Comments | Post / Read Comments Next Article in Boston Red Sox: Manny Nation ...View More...View Less
06/02/2008 10:15 PM