The Red Sox placed David Ortiz on the 15-day disabled list today. Ortiz has a partially torn sheath around the tendon in his left wrist that doctors do not believe will require surgery to repair.
For those Red Sox fans with excellent memories, Nomar Garciaparra had a similar problem back in 2000-01 that cost him most of of the 2001 season.
Garciaparra had been playing with a torn sheath that irritated and frayed the tendon, and the primary injury was a split tendon in his wrist that year. When the tendon was surgically repaired, doctors also repaired the sheath. But the sheath was a secondary issue to the tendon itself. Garciaparra played only 27 games in 2001.
Terry Francona said surgery for Ortiz is not in the picture, at least for the present.
“I don’t think the doctors think that’s going to happen,” the manager said. “I know they’re aren’t going to tell me something they don’t believe.”
The Red Sox called up first baseman-outfielder Chris Carter from Pawtucket to replace Ortiz on the roster. Carter was hitting .310-10-35 at Pawtucket and has been on a hot streak.
“We thought we would reward him,” Francona said. “He might help us win a couple games.”
Brandon Moss, who has had two stints with the Red Sox this year and hit three homers in a game for Pawtucket on Sunday, was also an option.
“Chris was really swinging the bat well, and so was Mossie,” Francona said. “But he’s just come back from an appendectomy, and we weren’t sure what the opportunity would be for him to play here every day. We want him to keep playing.”
Jeff Bailey was optioned back to the PawSox today.
With Ortiz out of the lineup, Manny Ramirez takes over as the designated hitter ... at least temporarily.
“He doesn’t want to be a full-time DH,” Francona said. “But we have guys who can really go get ‘em in the lineup.”
Francona was referring to flyhawks Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp, and J.D. Drew.
There is no good time to lose one of the most productive players in the American League. But if it had to happen, now is about as good a time as any for the Red Sox. They have nine interleague games on the road in June in which no DH is used. Ortiz has played first base in the past during most games in NL parks.
“If you’re not going to have David Ortiz, then that would be the time,” Francona said.