RED SOX: David Ortiz was out of the starting lineup for Boston against the Yankees on Sunday night after getting off to the worst start of his career.
Manny Ramirez moved to Ortiz’s designated hitter spot and Jacoby Ellsbury took Ramirez’s place in left field.
“Just trying to figure things out for a minute so I can go back to being Big Papi again,” Ortiz said before the game.
Ortiz, batting .070 with 3 hits in 43 at bats, was to work with hitting coach Dave Magadan.
“I talked to David real quick” on Saturday, manager Terry Francona said. “I still think it’s the right thing to do. He needed a break. He’ll get his work in with Mags. You can see it’s weighing on him.”
Ortiz was happy that Francona gave him advance notice.
“You see this in baseball, a guy having a hard time, go home, chill out, come back with a fresh mind. It happens to everybody,” he said. “And I guess that’s when managers know when they need to bring something like that to the table. I always do what Terry tells me to do. I’m an employee.”
Ortiz, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason, had played in all 12 previous games. He started the season in an 0-for-12 slump and is hitless in his last 17 at-bats.
WHITE SOX: Joe Crede and Paul Konerko each hit grand slams for Chicago against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, the third time Chicago has had multiple grand slams in the same game.
BLUE JAYS: Closer B.J. Ryan was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays, barely 11 months after undergoing elbow ligament replacement surgery. Manager John Gibbons said the left-hander will immediately regain his closer’s role, but he won’t pitch on consecutive days.
RANGERS: Texas called up right-hander Scott Feldman from Class AA Frisco to make his major league starting debut against the Toronto. The Rangers plan to option Feldman back to Frisco and will make another roster move involving their pitching staff before tonight’s meeting with the Angels.
Associated Press
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