David Ortiz Missed Yankees Game With 'Bad Flu,' 104-Degree Fever

It’s time to cut David Ortiz some slack.

It’s no secret the Boston Red Sox slugger doesn’t like playing first base. It’s just not something the 39-year-old can do on a regular basis anymore, and in typical Ortiz fashion, he hasn’t been shy about letting everyone know.

So when the Red Sox’s lineup was posted late Sunday and Ortiz wasn’t in it for the team’s matchup against the first-place New York Yankees, speculation ran wild that he was walking out or angry with on the team.

That speculation officially has run its course.

“I was starting to get sick Saturday, but it wasn’t like it was Sunday,” Ortiz told WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I had a bad flu, coughing a lot, fever, body soreness. The shower hurt, that’s how bad it was.

“So when I got to the field on Sunday, (Red Sox manager) John (Farrell) asked me how I felt. I was like, ‘John, I’m taking a bunch of medication right now so don’t take me out of the lineup yet. Let’s see how I feel in a couple of hours.’ That happened around 10. So I took a whole bunch of medicine and I went to the trainers room and I just chilled there for a while, for a couple of hours, to see how I felt. He came back and checked up on me. It was my second day with the flu and I was feeling horrible. So the doctor came up and checked up on me and he sent me home.”

Ortiz told Bradford his fever reached 104 degrees.

“I just don’t get when people want to judge you when you’re sick,” he said. “Do you think I want to miss a big game against the Yankees? I have actually played games sick, but not that sick.

“It was just one of those flus there was nothing you could do about it. You just have to deal with it.”

With the Red Sox starting a stretch of 17 consecutive games without a day off, don’t expect Ortiz at first base any time soon. And whatever you do, don’t doubt Big Papi.