Getty Image
David Ortiz is finally out of the hospital following a scary incident in his native Dominican Republic on June 9 that left the former Boston Red Sox star with gunshot wounds. While Ortiz has yet to make a public appearance or comment on what happened the night he was attacked — something that’ll happen at some point — Big Papi did offer up some insight as to how he’s feeling now that he’s no longer under medical attention.
Through a representative, here’s what David Ortiz had to say, which focused on him thanking the doctors and nurses at the hospital, as well as acknowledging all the support from Red Sox nation.
Per NESN:
David Ortiz left Mass General Hospital this past Friday as he continues his recuperation from the injuries he suffered from a shooting in Santo Domingo on June 9, 2019.
Along with his wife, Tiffany, and his children, David wishes to offer his thanks and gratitude to Dr. Jose Abel Gonzalez and the medical team at the Center for Advanced Medicine in Santo Domingo, and Dr. Larry Ronan and Dr. David King as well as all the doctors, nurses, and caregivers at Mass General. David commented, “They are some of the best teammates I have ever had.”
David wanted to acknowledge the prayers and good wishes from the Dominican Republic and Red Sox Nation. He also mentioned his gratitude to the Red Sox ownership stating, “My deep appreciation goes to John and Linda Henry, Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy and the entire Red Sox organization for arranging the Red Sox plane that took me back to Boston from Santo Domingo and their continuing assistance to me and my family.”
David gave special thanks to Pam Kenn of the Red Sox “For the help and support she gave Tiffany in providing the media updates on my medical condition.” And Tiffany Ortiz expressed her appreciation and gratitude to Phil Morse, Vice Chairman of the Boston Red Sox, “For his special acts of kindness and concern during a difficult time for me and my family.”
David plans to spend the next several weeks focusing on his recovery. David said, “I am feeling good but know I need to do my rehab just like I did when I was recovering from injuries playing baseball.”
While he is asking for privacy for the time being, David stated, “Big Papi will be back soon.”
In addition to the official statement released from David Ortiz’s reps above, the former slugger also took to Instagram to show that he’s in good spirits. Not only did he thank everyone for their support in the pic, but he also joked about how he wishes he could “crush food”, which was what was shown in the pictures he posted.
David Ortiz is one of the most energetic, down to earth athletes, and, even since retiring from baseball a couple years ago, has maintained a relationship with fans through community events and giving analysis during FOX Sports’ MLB coverage. Who knows when he’ll be back to full strength, but it’s great to see that he’s in good spirits and is on his way to recovery, because the situation is scary and something that could’ve ended much worse.
An investigation into the shooting are still ongoing, with a number of different reports surfacing, but, at the very least, it’s great seeing David Ortiz back with his family.
(H/T NESN)