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Red Sox say Ortiz stable, back in Boston for further medical care

Boston Globe / Getty

Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz is back in Boston for continued medical care after he was shot in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, according to NESN's Guerin Austin.

"The events of last night shook our Red Sox family to its core," club president Sam Kennedy said in a statement, via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. "David Ortiz is one of the most celebrated and beloved members of the Red Sox family. On behalf of the entire organization, our thoughts and our prayers are with David.

"Please know we are doing everything we can to support David and his family during this very difficult period. Our medical team in Boston and doctors in the DR have confirmed that David's condition is still serious but he is stable enough to be transported back to Boston for continued care. The club has arranged for a medical team to transport David to Boston from Santo Domingo. ...

"Out of respect for David's privacy, I don't have any more details about David's medical condition."

Once he arrives in Boston, Ortiz will be taken directly to Massachusetts General Hospital.

"It shocked us to the core," Kennedy said. "It was jarring. It was frankly stunning. And terrifying. A horrific incident.

"We all remember that in 2013 when we needed David Ortiz the most, he was there for us in late April (after the Boston Marathon bombings)," he continued. "And so it's appropriate and expected that this community would rally around David when he needs us the most."

Doctors confirmed Ortiz's liver and small and large intestine were damaged by the bullet, but not his gallbladder as previously reported, according to Maria Cramer of the Boston Globe. The 10-time All-Star was in the operating room for over six hours during the night in the Dominican Republic, according to James Wagner of The New York Times.

Manager Alex Cora said he and several Red Sox executives spoke to the team about the situation.

"(Team owner) Mr. (John) Henry and Sam (Kennedy) and (president of baseball operations) Dave (Dombrowski), we just met with everybody. There were some questions about what's going on," Cora said. "They gave answers, whatever they could answer. Everybody knows what's going on. We live in an era that's very easy to get information."

He added: "Back home they talk about superheroes without capes. He is a superhero without a cape. That's the way we see it. He'll be OK."

Ortiz was in a Santo Domingo club on Sunday night when he was ambushed and shot by two men who arrived on a motorcycle.

Police in the Dominican Republic announced the arrest of one suspect, 25-year-old Eddy Feliz Garcia, who was initially mistakenly identified as the gunman but is now alleged to have driven the motorcycle to the scene. Garcia sustained multiple injuries, including a cranium contusion and trauma to his thorax, after being captured and beaten by a crowd following the shooting; he was released into police custody after being treated in hospital.

The second suspect, who is alleged to have shot Ortiz, has not been publicly identified. A source close to the investigation told ESPN Deportes late Monday that the second suspect has also been arrested. However, police have yet to publicly confirm the arrest.

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