After consulting with Ortiz and the medical staff, Ortiz will start at first base on Saturday.
“Yeah, he’s in the lineup unless something happens in BP that suggests otherwise,” Farrell told reporters. “He’s at first base. Everything points to David playing first base tomorrow. He feels good physically and the medical staff feels like he was in very good condition as far as getting on the field defensively tomorrow. That’s the status for first base.”
“The at-bats are the risk and the reward inside that,” Farrell told reporters. “Yeah, David was on the field last year in interleague play. We have held off for obvious reasons. With a right-hander going tomorrow sandwiched by two left-handers, we felt like it was a good day to get him on the field.”
Farrell made it clear this is a one-time thing.
“This is one game,” he said. “And granted, can totally understand the potential risk-reward here, but if it wasn’t signed off on all parties, particularly David and the way he feels, we wouldn’t even consider it. But you know what? Games are taking on added importance. His bat in our lineup is an important one and that will be in the lineup tomorrow.”
WEEI