David Ortiz Watch: Done with Pawtucket

By Maggie Cassidy, Globe Correspondent

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- After finishing tonight's game 1 for 4 (.250), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 walks, 1 run and 2 Ks, David Ortiz is done with Pawtucket. Despite recent reports from Ortiz and Red Sox manager Terry Francona that Ortiz would finish out the four-game series tomorrow night, Ortiz told Paw Sox manager Ron Johnson he is going back to his original plan, and will take tomorrow night off to rest up before heading to AA Portland for a three-game series Monday night. The super-slugger skipped the traffic and went home early during the PawSox' 13-5 beating by Toledo.

He finishes his three games with the PawSox hitting 3 for 9 (.333) with 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 4 runs, and two strikeouts -- and, most importantly, his wrist feels great.

“I probably asked him so many times, he probably got sick of me asking," Johnson said. "He was just like, it was nothing. That was really exciting from all of our standpoints because we want this guy back playing in the big leagues.”

Johnson said the three-day trip was an overall success. Even in tonight's dismal loss, he said Ortiz's timing and comfort behind the plate were the best he'd seen during the series.

"I thought tonight was really good. He swung at pitches, he was aggressive, he missed pitches. But even ... watching the way he reacted after he missed was very positive," he said.