It’s been a crazy few weeks in the Dominican Republic as multiple tourists have died under mysterious circumstances while visiting resorts in the country and it appeared like there was a chance another life would be lost when Red Sox legend David Ortiz was shot in the back last week while at a bar in Santo Domingo.
The story of Ortiz’s shooting has become increasingly bizarre as the case continues to unfold.
It initially appeared the former player was the victim of a robbery attempt gone wrong but rumors began to fly that he was actually the target of a hit put out by a drug lord who was romantically linked with Ortiz’s alleged mistress, who denied knowing anyone connected to the case before changing her tune.
While police say an unidentified person put out an almost $8,000 hit on Ortiz, the man who claims he pulled the trigger says Big Papi wasn’t actually his intended target—although he was contradicted by officials who say they’ve identified the man who put out the bounty.
Ortiz was rushed to a hospital following the shooting, where the woman claiming to be his mistress reportedly caused a scene.
Papi was eventually transported to a hospital in Boston for surgery, and as of last week, his wife said he was well on his way to recovery.
While he remains in the ICU, it appears Ortiz is making great strides according to a statement the Red Sox released on Wednesday in which they announced his condition has been updated to “good” and that he’s shown significant progress.
ESPN‘s Marly Rivera also shared a positive update of her own after the news was announced.
Here’s to hoping we get some more good news in the coming days.