David Ortiz Needs Injection to Alleviate Pain in Achilles, Hopes to Speed Up Healing Process

BOSTON — There's no timetable on David Ortiz's return from an Achilles injury.

While the slugger said he's feeling better, the pain hasn't completely subsided. As a result of the lingering effects of the injury, the Red Sox designated hitter will need an injection to alleviate the discomfort.

But Ortiz said on Sunday that it wouldn't be a cortisone shot. The details surrounding the nature of injection were unclear, but Boston manager Bobby Valentine indicated that the procedure would be necessary.

"He was going to get it," Valentine said. "I didn't see him afterwards. I talked to him earlier, and he said that today he was going to get an injection to try to get rid of some of the pain after he works out. He says he feels good when he's working and then it hurts afterwards."

Prior to Monday's game against the Rangers, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington wasn't sure if Ortiz had received the injection already. Ortiz, though, wasn't in the clubhouse before the game to elaborate.

Despite the lack of clarity surrounding the shot, Cherington and Valentine agreed there was uncertainty surrounding his activation from the disabled list.

"I know he's chomping at the bit," Cherington said. "We obviously need to get him out there as quickly as we can. It hasn't healed quite as quickly as we had hoped. The diagnosis hasn't changed. It just hasn't come around quite as quickly. He's making progress every day, just not quite as quickly as we were hoping. Hopefully, he's in there sooner rather than later."

The shot could help towards that goal.

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