Some things are bigger than baseball, which is a big reason the Boston Red Sox are making the health of David Ortiz one of their primary immediate focuses.
The Red Sox legend on Sunday night was shot in the Dominican Republic and has been receiving around-the-clock medical treatment. Reports indicate Ortiz’s health has stabilized, but the Red Sox announced Monday they are going to do all they can to ensure Ortiz makes a full recovery.
One way in which the Red Sox will do that is by flying Ortiz from Santo Domingo to Boston via air ambulance Monday night so Ortiz can get medical treatment at Mass. General Hospital, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said Monday afternoon in a statement during a press conference at Fenway Park.
“Please know that we are doing everything we can to support David and his family during this very difficult period,” Kennedy said in his statement. “Our medical team here in Boston and the doctors in the Dominican Republic have confirmed David’s condition is still serious but that he is stable enough to be transported back here to Boston for continued care. In coordination with our medical team, the club has arranged for a medical air ambulance to transport David to Boston from Santo Domingo. Our hope is that David will arrive here in Boston sometime later tonight. In respect for David’s privacy, I don’t have any additional details about his medical condition. Right now, the club’s exclusive focus is on David’s health and well-being and we’re doing all we can to get David back to Boston as soon as possible.”
Kennedy wasn’t able to provide a full timeline, but the hope was that Ortiz would be back in Boston and on his way to MGH at some point Monday night.
In the meantime, the Red Sox are trying to process the stunning news.
“As I said, it shocked us to the core,” Kennedy said. ” … It was jarring. It was frankly stunning and terrifying. It was a horrific incident and our focus right now, our exclusive focus, is on his health and well-being and doing what we can to support the family and get David back to Boston.”
