BOSTON -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has been cleared by doctors to return to action, and will be in the lineup tonight when the Red Sox host the White Sox at Fenway Park.
Ortiz last played for the Red Sox on Aug. 27 in Seattle and was sent back to Boston the next day when he experienced heart palpitations for the second time in 10 days.
He spent two nights last week in Massachusetts General Hospital, where he underwent several tests to determine if there were any abnormalities in his heart. When none could be found, he was released, and monitored on an outpatient basis over the last few days.
Red Sox medical director Dr. Thomas Gill released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon:
"The ongoing monitoring of David Ortiz has not identified any further problem. As a result, the team of consultants caring for David has met and decided to allow him to return to play today. The Red Sox medical staff will continue to monitor David on a daily basis."
The Red Sox will have their full complement of everyday players together for the first time in months. In recent days, Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon, Jason Varitek, Alex Gonzalez and Wily Mo Pena have all returned from extended absences. Ortiz now joins the mix, giving the offense a fighting chance to keep the team in games while the pitching staff -- currently without the services of Curt Schilling, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Jon Lester -- is depleted.
In anticipation of his return, Ortiz, who has clubbed 47 homers and driven in 121 runs this season, took batting practice on Monday.
"I can't wait to start playing, dude," said Ortiz on Monday.
The medical staff has yet to state publicly why Ortiz might have been having some of the symptoms -- stress, dehydration, rapid heartbeat -- that placed him in the hospital.
Last Friday, a day after Ortiz was released from the hospital, the Red Sox, on behalf of Gill, released the following information about his medical treatment:
"David's physical examination was normal. The following imaging and functional tests were performed: basic laboratories, electrocardiogram, heart monitoring, echocardiogram, signal averaged electrocardiogram, stress testing, and magnetic resonance imaging. The heart consultants extensively reviewed these tests. In brief, David's testing was unremarkable or normal except for changes commonly found in well-trained athletes. "
Though the Red Sox trail the Twins by six games in the Wild Card standings and the Yankees by nine games in the American League East, Ortiz is looking forward to the quest of helping his team try to get back in contention.
"We'll try to go back and try to turn the page, see if we can win games and see what happens," said Ortiz. "We have time left still."
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