SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hopes to his injured wrist heals enough to let him play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
"I have been swinging some and my injured wrist has not bothered me since last year," he told The Associated Press by e-mail Thursday. "Just as I promised, if I'm healthy, I will join the team."Ortiz was on the disabled list twice last season with a partially torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Doctors had told him to rest over the offseason.
Ortiz hit .264 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs in 109 games, all lows for him since he joined the Red Sox in 2003.
Baseball officials in the Dominican Republic said training will start Monday and last three weeks. Ortiz is in Boston visiting his father and plans to arrive in the Caribbean country on Saturday.
