Shortly after the Red Sox toppled the Rays 12-2, the designated hitter sauntered into the Red Sox clubhouse to the sight of Jacoby Ellsbury's collision with Rays' shortstop Reid Brignac. While looking at the replay, Ortiz visibly cringed.
"It looked painful, it looked painful," he said, repeating himself. "I didn't get to watch the replay before, but hopefully things don't go the way it looked like in the video. We'll see how it goes."
That uncertainty was prevalent throughout the clubhouse.
With the announcement that Ellsbury suffered a right shoulder injury –– and was scheduled to undergo further evaluation at Massachusetts General Hospital –– it’s likely the Sox will be without its star for a few games. And possibly more.
"It didn't look good," Darnell McDonald said. "It looked like he was in a lot of pain. Looking at the replay, it looked nasty."
For the duration of Friday’s game, the Red Sox slotted Cody Ross into center field and substituted Ryan Sweeney in right field. If Ellsbury's injury is as serious as it appeared, the outfield could receive a makeover.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, Ross has played 380 career games at center and insists he's comfortable with taking over at center. In an encouraging way, Ross is maybe too relaxed over there.
"I've always thought that center field is the easiest of the three," Ross said. "You have a direct view of the pitch, you know where the location is going to be. If they're trying to throw in, you can cheat in. If they're trying to throw away, you can cheat away. In the corners, you have no idea."
But the Red Sox will also receive temporary reinforcements shortly. After Josh Beckett emerged unscathed from his outing, manager Bobby Valentine said he would likely recall a position player and send down a pitcher.
"I'm preparing for someone to get here tomorrow," Valentine said, without shedding more light on Ellsbury’s injury.
It could open the door for Che-Hsuan Lin to return. The outfielder –– who is considered a defensive specialist –– was abruptly scratched before Pawtucket's Friday night game, a sign he's likely headed to Fenway for a stint.
Ellsbury’s situation will affect the state of the lineup. As the team's leadoff hitter, he ignited the Red Sox in 2011, hitting 32 homers and 105 RBIs. And before the injury, he appeared to find a groove, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Now with a possible void in the lineup, Dustin Pedroia understands the urgency of the situation.
"He finished second in the MVP last year," Pedroia said. "He's a superstar. We definitely need him in our lineup."
Since Carl Crawford’s return was pushed another week with elbow soreness, the holes in the outfield will be visible. For now, Ross, Sweeney and Darnell McDonald will attempt to hold down the fort.
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