Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz remained in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday as he continues to recover from surgery to repair gunshot wounds.
“Yesterday and this morning, David was able to sit up as well as take some steps. His condition is guarded and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress towards recovery,” his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, said in a statement issued by the Boston Red Sox.
The retired slugger was in a club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Sunday night when he was shot by a man at close range. Surgeons there operated for six hours to repair damage to his intestines and liver, also removing his gallbladder.
Once his condition stabilized, Ortiz was flown to Boston on Monday and taken by ambulance to Mass General, where he underwent a second surgery.
“My family and I again want to thank everyone for their endless love and well wishes, and still ask for privacy while David continues to heal,” the statement by his wife concluded.
According to WBZ-TV in Boston, five people now are in custody in connection with the shooting. That includes the alleged shooter, who initially escaped the scene, and the man who allegedly drove the gunman to the club on a motorcycle.
According to multiple reports, the alleged driver was detained and beaten by people in the area after the incident, and he has since been charged with being an accomplice to attempted murder.
According to documents obtained by The Boston Globe, witnesses saw the alleged shooter and driver meeting together a day before the shooting. On the night of the shooting, other witnesses saw a group of men with two cars, one a gray Hyundai, and a motorcycle leave the bike for the alleged driver and shooter, who got on it and headed to the club.
Per The Globe, the documents say the alleged shooter escaped the scene of the shooting on foot but was seen on video surveillance getting into the same Hyundai. He was tracked down and arrested Tuesday night.
Ortiz, known to fans and teammates as “Big Papi,” played the last 14 years (2003-16) of his 20-year big league career in Boston. He was named an All-Star 10 times and helped the Red Sox win World Series championships in 2004, 2007 and 2013. He is a career .286 hitter with 541 career home runs.
