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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 1:13 p.m., Tuesday, July 8, 2008

MLB: Ortiz reports no pain after BP stint

Associated Press

BOSTON — Red Sox slugger David Ortiz reported no pain today, a day after he took his first on-field batting practice since injuring a tendon in his left wrist almost six weeks ago.

"That was good news," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We'll see how he feels at the end of the week and then we'll go from there."

Ortiz will continue to take batting practice with the team and work up to the point where he can test his wrist with a swing similar to the one he injured it on in the ninth inning on May 30 in Baltimore.

"Towards the end of the week, we'll probably get him down to that (batting) cage and crank up that machine, and really crank it up, crank it up because that will create discomfort for any hitter," he said. "I think the only true way (to test) is getting into a game."

Ortiz will spend some time in the minors on a rehab stint after he is cleared to play.

"We're trying to do all we can to test, to get him better, to prepare him," Francona said. "But, ultimately, get him in a game is what will really help. But we don't want to get him in that game till he's ready to do that because that check swing is going to happen and when it happens, we want him to be OK.