ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz plans to attend next month's All-Star game, but won't play due to his injured left wrist.
Ortiz will likely win the fan vote to be the starting AL DH. He has a partial tear of the sheath that surrounds his tendon, which occurred while swinging during a game against Baltimore on May 31.
"I'm going to go to the All-Star game. Show respect for the fans," Ortiz said Monday night before a game against Tampa Bay. "I'm not going to be able to play."
Ortiz has been hitting of a tee, and could move to soft toss sessions by the end of the week.
"I'm still working my way up," Ortiz said. "I'm feeling better everyday. I'm not going to tell you when I'm going to be 100 percent because I don't know."
Ortiz had a team-high 13 homers and 43 RBIs when he got hurt.
"When we get to the All-Star break, it's hard to know exactly, but that's probably where he's going to start feeling like he can play," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "When we get toward that break, maybe we can start to turn him loose a little bit. Then again, maybe he won't be ready."
