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With the manhunt for the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect finally over, life may start to return to normal for the community and the Boston Red Sox. Something that should help in that quest is designated hitter David Ortiz, who is rejoining the team and jubilant city from the disabled list.

MLB.com’s Ian Browne first reported that rookie outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket following Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Indians to make room for Ortiz’s activation.

The Boston Globe‘s Mike Scandura confirmed Ortiz is on his way back to Boston.

The 37-year-old slugger was placed on the disabled list last July 19, and missed all of spring training this before starting this season on the DL once again because of an Achilles injury.

Although the Red Sox have not yet made an official announcement, all signs point to him being activated in time for Saturday’s game at Fenway Park against the Kansas City Royals.

He spent the past week rehabbing with Pawtucket, and following Thursday’s game he proclaimed himself ready to the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton. “I think I go back to the big team tomorrow.  “I’m old enough to know what I need to do to keep it compact [his swing]….We were taking our time and just trying to do the right thing. It’s time.”

The left-handed Ortiz had just four hits and six strikeouts in 18 at-bats during his rehab stint, but did blast a solo home run in his final game.

Despite his readiness, he wasn’t able to make his first 2013 major league appearance Friday as hoped because the Red Sox game was cancelled to support the efforts of local law enforcement in their investigation of the bombing suspects.

The Red Sox have gotten off to their hot start primarily on the back of their pitching, as the offense has mustered just a combined .257 batting average and 14 home runs. The return of Ortiz could boost those numbers.

He hit .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in the 90 games in which he did appear last year. If he can come anywhere close to that kind of production in 2013, placing him back in the middle of the Boston lineup could make the team an even more difficult matchup.

Boston manager John Farrell explained to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber what Ortiz’s return means for the team: 

He feels good about where he’s at. To have his presence in the middle of the order certainly speaks for itself, the number of years and the success that he’s had. He gives us the potential to lengthen our lineup even more, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing him in the clubhouse tomorrow.

As Britton reported, Ortiz will hold on to a significant amount of money if he is activated in time for Saturday’s game. His contract calls for his 2014 salary to be cut from $15 million to $13 million if he spends more than 20 days on the disabled list in 2013. Saturday would be the 21st day since he was deactivated.

His return will also result in a domino effect for other players and potentially the Boston community.

Ortiz, entering his 10th season with the Red Sox, is the team’s longest-tenured player and a regional icon. His return at the end of an incredibly emotional week for the city is sure to have a positive impact.

Bradley, who hit .419 during spring training, will return to the minors after struggling to a .097 average so far this season, including going hitless in his last 20 at-bats. He impressed with his maturity, but it appears that a little more seasoning in the minors is needed for the 23-year-old.

Besides Bradley, Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes were getting the bulk of the playing time in left field and designated hitter in Ortiz’s absence. They may now get fewer at-bats with another designated hitter on the roster, but perhaps not as few as one might think.

Ortiz told Britton that he will need “some days off once in a while.”

Meanwhile, Farrell confirmed to Lauber that the Red Sox will proceed cautiously with Big Papi. “We’ll use him as our guide, but we’re going to have to balance getting him back into full shape as well as monitoring how much stress that heel can take.”

The switch-hitting Nava has started the season with a .333 batting average and three home runs. He figures to remain above Gomes on the left-field depth chart; Gomes not only started slowly at the plate with a .167 batting average, but is also an inferior defensive player.

There are a lot of details left to figure out, but two things seem clear. David Ortiz is ready to play and his return couldn’t come at a better time for the Red Sox or the city of Boston.  

Statistics via Baseball-Reference 

Follow @historianandrew

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A number of MLB teams are not at full strength at this point in the year because some of their players are still recovering from offseason surgeries and spring injuries.

These players can provide a big boost once they return, and they can help change a team from one that is struggling to one that is fighting for a playoff spot.

Sometimes, the impact is more than what the player does on the field. In certain cases, their leadership ability is invaluable.

The following players will have a big impact on their team’s performance once they return.

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The Boston Red Sox have started their 2013 season off in an impressive fashion, taking three out of four games on the road against the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. They will soon get even stronger, as the impending returns of injured players Stephen Drew and David Ortiz will shake up the roster.

Drew, a shortstop, began the season on the seven-day disabled list because of a concussion. He is now in the midst of a brief rehab stint with Double-A Portland and could be activated within the next week.

Ortiz is the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox but has played in just one major league game since last July 16 because of an Achilles injury. Having missed all of spring training, the designated hitter has just resumed full baseball activities. After a minor league rehab stint he is expected to be back in Boston in about three weeks.

The return of these two veterans will necessitate a roster shakeup to accommodate their activation from the disabled list.

Drew was signed to a one-year, $9.5 million contract this past offseason. Once he is healthy, he will play if for no other reason than he is being paid to be the starter.

Young Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias has played well filling in for Drew, collecting seven hits in 12 at-bats, while displaying stellar defense. It’s hard not to find that encouraging in light of the 23-year-old having his prospect stock slip because of his inconsistent bat.

Despite his strong start, he should be returned to the minors once his counterpart is activated.

WEEI’s Alex Speier wrote that Iglesias’ hot start won’t create a controversy when Drew is ready to return. Boston manager John Farrell explained, “We’re certainly not going to take away from what Jose’s done, but we signed a premium guy in the offseason to be our starting shortstop and we’re not going to look at an injury to cause him to lose his job.”

In order to reach his fullest potential, Iglesias needs to play every day. That won’t be possible in Boston once Drew returns.

The Red Sox can’t be blinded by Iglesias’ hot start because it is such a small sample size and he lacks a proven track record.

If he continues his torrid play in the minors, there will eventually be a place for him in Boston. Just not this year. He knows he has to play aggressively, telling The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, “I have my confidence back and that’s a good thing.”

The displacement caused by Ortiz’s return is a bit more complicated. Since the 37-year-old slugger exclusively plays designated hitter, a position player will have to be sacrificed to balance the roster.

Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has the least experience of any player on the team, but the Red Sox would do well to keep him in Boston.

The prized 23-year-old prospect was a last-minute addition to the 25-man roster to start the year after hitting .419 during spring training and enduring a lengthy debate about whether he was ready for the majors.

If he spends 20 consecutive days in the minor leagues at any point in 2013, his free agency clock will be delayed an extra year until 2019. Despite that temptation, Boston already rolled the dice to bypass that and putting their best players on the field to start the year.

Bradley is simply too valuable an asset to ship out when Ortiz returns.

He has played well in the early going, producing three hits, four walks, three RBI, a stolen base and four runs scored in his first four games, all while playing excellent defense in left field.

In addition to his play, he has also created a spark amongst Red Sox fans. His ability to put butts in the seats and have people talking about a team coming off a 93-loss season in 2012 cannot be overstated.

The most obvious choice to be sent down when Ortiz is healthy is outfielder Daniel Nava. While the switch-hitter learned to play first base this spring, he has limited upside, plays the same positions as fellow benchmate Mike Carp and still has a minor league option.

The gritty, 30-year-old Nava is a nice story because he went undrafted and made his way to the majors after starting his professional career in the independent leagues. But his modest skill set and lack of marketing appeal make him the appropriate choice.

Regardless of who is demoted, the Red Sox will certainly welcome back two veteran players like Drew and Ortiz with open arms. With 23 combined major league seasons and 478 home runs between them, they could make a huge impact over the remainder of the season. That would make the upcoming roster shuffle more than worth it. 

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I made it to Opening Day.

This year, Opening Day meant more than most years, since I was the one that almost went on the DL. Instead, I stood on the field Monday in Milwaukee, looking at the steel roof above the green grass and loving that it was once again baseball season. It was an amazing feeling, talking with so many media friends and having everyone from Doug Melvin to Ryan Braun pausing to ask how I was feeling. 

Of course, there’s a lot of injuries already around the league, which should be no surprise. Almost 20 percent of injuries occur in the spring. Even once Opening Day has come and gone, injuries tend to be a bit front-loaded. The reasons are obvious and inscrutable all at once, but the pattern has held for the decade we have data on and anecdotally for much longer.

It’s a long season, but for too many, the season is already over. Opening Day isn’t a new beginning, but the starting line that is sometimes not reached. Teams will begin to make do, to patch holes and to find ways to deal with the injuries that occur. At some point, they’ll do something about it, but until then, the doctors and athletic trainers will just put in the long hours they have trying to make a difference.

Powered by the spirit of Opening Day, on to the injuries: 

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By this time next week, MLB will have thrown their first pitch. Before that, they’ll pitch several players on to the DL. Injuries often become the deciding factor in many of those last-minute roster decisions. A player may be healthy now, but might have missed opportunities to impress the coaching staff earlier in the spring due to even minor injuries.

We’ll begin the season with a number of big-name players on the DL, but remember that at the start of the season, there’s a bit of a loophole. Teams can put players on the DL with a “retroactive move,” in essence post-dating the start of the DL stint. This year, it means that a player that has not played in a major league exhibition game from March 22 can come off early, as soon as April 6. 

To do this, the players have to be held out of games, and you can see several teams doing this around the league. A player can play in minor league games and preserve the retro move, so as with Derek Jeter and others, they’ve essentially already started the process. Look for a number of these moves to happen this week, giving a short-term roster relief that will allow a team to bring a 26th or 27th player north, delaying that hard final roster decision a bit more.

There’s a lot of injuries to check out around the league, as there will be every week of the season, so powered by Yasiel Puig, let’s get to it:

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After losing 93 games and making a mockery of themselves in the process last season, the Boston Red Sox have their eyes on smooth sailing and a return to form in 2013.

They’re banking on much going right. The Red Sox’s offseason remodeling project will have to pan out, for one, and they’ll certainly need to be blessed with good health. To that end, two guys stand out as key injury concerns: designated hitter David Ortiz and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Ellsbury was limited to 18 games in 2010 after a collision with then-Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre left his ribcage in ruins. Last year, Ellsbury was limited to 74 games after a collision with Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Reid Brignac left his right shoulder in ruins.

To be fair, Ellsbury is more accident prone than injury prone, but what’s true either way is that he’s not the quickest healer under the sun. Given his track record, we can rule out the possibility that he’s a real-life incarnation of Wolverine.

Ortiz, meanwhile, was limited to five games after the break last season thanks to an Achilles injury. Now the word from The Boston Globe is that both of his Achilles’ tendons are hurting him, and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has heard that Ortiz may not be able to play until May:

So it already sounds like the Red Sox should prepare for life without Ortiz for a while to start the season. They’ll be in a tight spot until he comes back, and they’ll be in an even tighter spot if Ellsbury suffers another collision-related injury early on in the season (knowing his luck…).

But here’s a question: If the baseball gods offered to guarantee good health for only one of them in 2013, whom would the Red Sox choose: Ortiz or Ellsbury?

That’s a tough one. We better get to the bottom of it.

Who Provides More Value on the Field?

There’s an apples-to-oranges nature to this question, as a comparison between Ortiz and Ellsbury is a comparison between a great hitting talent and a great overall talent. The answer depends on whether Ellsbury‘s all-around talent is a good match for Ortiz’s elite hitting talent.

Here’s a hint: It is.

Not that Big Papi is a bad hitter, mind you. He was left for dead as a hitter a couple of years ago, but he reanimated in 2010 and proceeded to get better in 2011 and 2012. 

Ortiz followed his .899 OPS in 2010 with a .953 OPS in 2011, and he compiled a 1.026 OPS in 90 games last year, which would have been the best in baseball had he finished with enough at-bats to qualify. 

Assuming good health eventually finds him in 2013, there are few reasons to think that Ortiz won’t be able to repeat his 2012 production, which doesn’t look like a fluke. FanGraphs shows that Big Papi was walking more frequently and striking out less frequently in 2013 than in previous years, and he didn’t benefit from too much luck when he put the ball in play.

Ortiz’s batting average on balls in play (BABIP) in 2012 was .316, which is right about where he was in 2010 and 2011. His HR/FB rate was an even 20 percent, a figure only marginally higher than his HR/FB rates in 2010 and 2011 and his career HR/FB rate of 18.7 percent.

Big Papi‘s 2012 production looks more like a sort of culmination than a random explosion. He’s old, and his bat certainly isn’t as explosive as it was between 2003 and 2007 but he’s refocused his approach at the plate and figured out how to compensate for whatever bat speed he’s lost due to age.

So while Ortiz’s health is very much in doubt, there’s little to be picky about when it comes to his offensive numbers.

The same cannot be said of Ellsbury.

Ellsbury had a dandy of a season when he was fully healthy in 2011, posting a .321/.376/.552 slash line with 32 homers and 39 stolen bases. Seemingly overnight, he went from being a pesky hitter with speed to being a power hitter with speed, a much rarer breed.

It’s the “seemingly overnight” aspect of Ellsbury‘s explosion in 2011 that should have the Red Sox lowering their expectations for him in 2013. As great as Ellsbury was two years ago, expecting him to be that great again is expecting too much.

Ellsbury may have told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that the best is yet to come in 2013, but the numbers say we’ve already seen the best of his power. Ellsbury hit 12 more home runs in 2011 than he had in the previous four seasons combined, which was thanks to a fluky power surge in the second half of the season.

According to FanGraphs, Ellsbury‘s ISO (Isolated Power, which is basically slugging percentage without singles factored in) went from .175 in the first half of 2011 to .298 in the second half, a huge jump. It helped that his HR/FB rate nearly doubled from 11.3 to 22.1.

There’s the problem. HR/FB rates like that are typically reserved for elite sluggers, and Ellsbury‘s career 8.8 HR/FB says he’s definitely not an elite slugger.

If Ellsbury stays healthy in 2013, he’s likely to be much more of a traditional leadoff guy: a solid on-base hitter with gap power. The Bill James projection for him calls for a .346 OBP, 15 homers and 37 stolen bases, which sounds like a fair and happy medium between Ellsbury‘s production in 2008 and 2009 and his explosive production in 2011.

So as far as hitting production goes, there’s really no debate that Ortiz beats Ellsbury. Ellsbury was the greater offensive force in 2011, but Ortiz is far more likely to be an impact hitter in 2013 based on his track record (again, assuming he is healthy).

Where Ellsbury has a distinct advantage over Ortiz, however, is in his capacity to provide value with his legs on both defense and on the basepaths. He’s one of the game’s top fielders and baserunners.

Ellsbury led all center fielders with a 15.6 UZR (ultimate zone rating; see FanGraphs) in 2011, and he also totaled seven defensive runs saved. Despite seeing limited action in 2012, he still managed a 2.9 UZR and three defensive runs saved, a strong showing for such a small sample size.

On the bases, Ellsbury was good for 5.3 base-running runs above average by FanGraphs‘ reckoning, and 3.7 base running runs by Baseball Prospectus’ reckoning. Once again, strong numbers for a small sample size. 

Ellsbury‘s speed will dry up eventually—but not yet since he’s only 29. Ortiz can’t hope to measure up against Ellsbury in defense and base running, and Ellsbury‘s value in these areas is more than enough to bridge the gap between him and Ortiz in hitting value.

The point in the on-field value debate goes to Ellsbury.

But that doesn’t mean the debate is over.

Who’s Harder to Replace?

The Red Sox are hoping that Ortiz and Ellsbury stay healthy in 2013 not just because they’re two of the best players on the club, but also because neither of them would be easy to replace. Players with their talent don’t grow on trees.

Between the two of them, though, Ellsbury would be the easier one to replace in the event of an injury. The Red Sox have their weaknesses, but they aren’t perilously thin on outfield options these days.

The Red Sox have a natural center fielder in Shane Victorino slated to play right field in 2013. If Ellsbury goes down, Victorino can move to center field, where his speed and strong arm would allow him to provide the Red Sox with solid defensive value.

With Victorino in center, the Red Sox could move Jonny Gomes to right field and slide Daniel Nava into left field, where he’s most comfortable. Or they could keep Gomes and/or Nava in left and just play top prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. in right field.

That would have been a long shot a couple of weeks ago but not now. Bradley emerged as one of Boston’s top prospects thanks to a strong showing in his second pro season last year, compiling a .911 OPS in 128 total games in Single-A and Double-A. He’s also raked to the tune of a 1.115 OPS this spring, though Baseball-Reference.com cautions that it hasn’t been against top-level competition.

Where it would be harder to replace Ellsbury is at the top of the lineup.

Victorino would presumably be Boston’s leadoff man if Ellsbury were out, but he’s not perfectly suited for the role. For his career, Victorino has a better OPS as a No. 2 hitter than as a leadoff man. He also bombed as the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ primary leadoff man last year, posting a .685 OPS in 23 games before Don Mattingly got fed up and started moving him around the lineup. 

Still, at least the Red Sox would have options available if Ellsbury were to go down. They’d have fewer options available to them if Ortiz were to go down (or, given his current status, stay down).

Ortiz stands out as a huge part of Boston’s offensive outlook in 2013 because he’s the only legit lefty power threat the Red Sox have. Most of their power is going to come from the right side of the plate, meaning right-handed pitchers would have a much easier time negotiating Boston’s lineup in 2013 if Ortiz were absent.

Beyond that, the DH spot in Boston’s lineup would become a revolving door affair. John Farrell could give Gomes and Mike Napoli some DH time in Ortiz’s absence, but beyond them, the Red Sox only have Ryan Lavarnway and Mauro Gomez. They’re both righty hitters whose major league numbers aren’t nearly as encouraging as their minor league numbers.

With no other lefty power threat in place and no obvious replacement for Ortiz in the DH spot, the middle of Boston’s lineup would be dealt a significant blow if Ortiz were out for a long while. That’s the kicker, as the Red Sox and pretty much every other team will vouch that it’s more difficult to overcome weakness in the middle of the lineup than it is to overcome weakness at the top.

Thus, the edge here goes to Ortiz.

But the debate still isn’t over.

Whose Health Woes Would Be a Bigger Blow to the Team’s Chemistry?

What happens on the field matters a heck of a lot more than what happens in the clubhouse. But after what they went through in 2011 and 2012, the Red Sox will vouch that a strong clubhouse culture is a good thing to have throughout a 162-game season.

And with all due respect to Ellsbury, Ortiz’s status as a leader precedes him. He and Dustin Pedroia are the show-runners of Boston’s clubhouse by reputation, but Ortiz has one thing that Pedroia doesn’t.

Seniority.

Ortiz has been wearing a Red Sox uniform longer than anybody else on the roster, and he takes his seniority status to heart. He took exception to questions about his leadership last season, and he also defended Boston’s clubhouse last year when everyone and their uncle was reporting that it was a cesspool.

“I run this (expletive) clubhouse right here. This clubhouse has no problem,” he said, via ESPNBoston.com. “The last problem this clubhouse had was last year when everything came down to what it was in (September), but since then everybody’s cool and everybody’s trying their best to win games.”

Talk is cheap, as they say, and Boston’s clubhouse did seem to be in a constant state of duress in 2012. But maybe it’s no coincidence that things got progressively worse after Ortiz hurt his Achilles on July 16, as the Red Sox proceeded to lose seven of their next 10 games and waved a white flag with their big trade with the Dodgers roughly a month later.

In all, the Red Sox went 46-44 with Ortiz last year and 23-49 without him. The Red Sox were primarily missing Big Papi‘s bat while he was gone, but it’s fair to wonder how much they missed his leadership.He was still around, but any leader is more effective when he can lead both in the clubhouse and on the field. Ortiz couldn’t do the latter down the stretch last year, and it may have impacted his ability to do the former.

Ellsbury is as capable of leading on the field as Ortiz is, but there’s little that suggests that he’s even remotely close to being Ortiz’s equal in the clubhouse. Ellsbury has never been the vocal type, and he was painted as a loner in Bob Hohler’s infamous article in The Boston Globe about the collapse of the 2011 team.

There are far worse sins a player can commit in a clubhouse than being a loner. Being a loner is better than being, say, an arrogant superstar who has himself pegged as the center of the universe. But it’s also hard for loners to be leaders, and that’s as true for Ellsbury as it is for anyone else.

The point here goes to Ortiz. 

Survey Says…

Above are three discussions and two points for Ortiz. My knowledge of arithmetic says that makes him the guy the Red Sox can’t afford to be without for a prolonged period of time in 2013.

And I’m not going to overrule the math, such as it is.

A side-by-side comparison does reveal Ellsbury to be the more valuable player based on his ability to do work at the plate, in the field and on the basepaths. But Ortiz is a good player in his own right, and the Red Sox would feel his absence in more ways than one if he were to take up a semi-permanent or permanent residence on the disabled list.

As such, the Red Sox had better wish Ortiz a speedy recovery. They’re not a bad team without him factored into the equation, but they certainly won’t be as good as they think they can be. Their return-to-relevancy conquest in 2013 hinges largely on his health.

So far, the club’s luck on that front hasn’t been very good. A bad omen, to be sure, but it’s far too early to say Boston’s luck is doomed.

No, Boston’s luck won’t be officially doomed until Ellsbury trips over Ortiz’s ankles in the dugout, aggravating Big Papi‘s injuries and breaking every bone in his body in the process. It would be too perfect, and you just never know…

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring training is great. It’s a relaxing, yet entertaining brand of baseball reminiscent of the 1970s and ‘80s. However, spring training obviously has a greater purpose besides the leisurely entertainment we all enjoy.

These six weeks give coaches and fans an idea of the strength of their teams and, in turn, a preview of what the coming season will hold. With the Red Sox just a few short weeks away from heading up north, it’s time to examine just how prepared they are for the upcoming season. 

Here are the Red Sox biggest weaknesses or needs going into the 2013 season.

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Missing “valuable” time will have another meaning for David Ortiz once the season begins in a couple of weeks.

Over the winter, Ortiz signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. Ortiz is expected to make a base salary of $14 million in the upcoming season and $11 million the following year. But that all could change due to a clause in the deal he recently inked.

The clause states that Ortiz’s 2014 salary may increase to $13 million or $15 million based on the number of days on the active roster in 2013, according to Baseball Prospectus’ Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Ortiz will earn the additional $4 million in 2013 if he spends less than 20 days on the disabled list with a pre-existing Achilles injury.

General manager Ben Cherington knew Ortiz might miss time with the nagging Achilles that allowed him to play in just 90 games last season. It was very smart of him to add that clause into Ortiz’s deal, admitting that he’d probably be worth more if he was able to stay healthy. If Ortiz doesn’t stay healthy, Cherington doesn’t have to pay him nearly as much.

“As with any player, you’ve got to get to the bottom of the health and figure out the risk involved,” Cherington told Joe McDonald of ESPN Boston at the time of the deal. “Our benefit is we know David so well and we know how hard he’s going to work to put himself in the best position to play and be healthy.”

Cherington went on to say that Ortiz was feeling much better and that it wasn’t a concern going forward more than any other player in a similar situation.

Well, now Ortiz isn’t feeling much better, and Cherington should be concerned. I calculated the odds of Ortiz playing on Opening Day, giving him a 40 percent chance of taking the field. That probability has gone down significantly over the last couple of days.

Ortiz recently had an MRI, which showed inflammation in both of his heels—something that’s caused him pain as he’s tried to work his way back, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. Ortiz is likely to start the season on the disabled list since he has yet to play in one spring training game, writes Abraham.

“Opening Day was my goal,” said Ortiz. “You heard me talking about it when I first got here. I was swinging good and I was pushing things the way I was being told. Right now, Opening Day seems like it’s not the case. The case is get me healthy for five or five and a half good months. You know what I’m saying? That’s what we’re looking for now.”

This is bad news for Ortiz and bad news for the Red Sox.

The longer Ortiz is sidelined, the greater the chance he’ll lose out on $4 million. Ortiz isn’t the type of player who is all about the money, but he has been vocal about his contract status in the past. Don’t think he won’t be doing everything in his power to make sure he’s back as quickly as possible without increasing the chance of re-injury.

Boston doesn’t have the best options to replace Ortiz either. I would assume that since Mike Napoli is a bit of a health risk, he’d be the immediate replacement as the designated hitter. There’s no need to play him in the field everyday. In that scenario, Boston could employ Mike Carp, Daniel Nava or Mauro Gomez at first base while Ortiz likely sits on the sidelines recovering.

The main story here, though, is Ortiz’s health and its continued deterioration. I’m not glad that Ortiz isn’t going to be ready for Opening Day by any means, but I do think it’s good that Cherington will likely have an extra $4 million to spend elsewhere in the future.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With spring training underway for the Boston Red Sox, the regular season will be here before fans know it. But despite the promise of a new year, Boston should be concerned about the health of designated hitter David Ortiz.

The 37-year-old Ortiz was headed towards one of his best seasons in 2012, hitting .318 with 23 home runs, 60 RBI and a 1.026 OPS in 90 games. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury shut him down, allowing him to play in only one major league game after July 16.

He has still not healed sufficiently to be able to play in a game.

This past offseason, he underwent a variety of treatments, including shockwave therapy, according to NESN.com.

Despite the lingering issue with the Achilles, the Red Sox signed Ortiz to a two-year extension this past offseason, which could be worth as much as $30 million.

WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that Boston did have protective language added to the pact, but the team is still on the hook for significant money if anything goes wrong.

At this point, there is cause for alarm because of the length of time it’s taking the left-handed slugger to get healthy.

When asked by The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham early last December about when he would be ready, Ortiz responded, “Very soon.”

Now, months later, he still seems to be in the same holding pattern.

In a separate article, Abraham recently reported that Ortiz admitted his injury was a partial Achilles tear. While he hasn’t been cleared to play, he hopes to be ready in 7-10 days and is looking towards the bigger picture, “They’re just being smart and not trying to rush. We have another six weeks still. They want to make sure that when I’m in, there’s no setback.”

New Boston manager John Farrell told the Providence Journal‘s Tim Britton he believes Ortiz can get in the necessary spring training work to be ready for the team’s first regular season game on April 1 against the New York Yankees. Farrell elaborates, “If you ask any hitter, they get their timing pretty good in a two-week period. That’s going to give him probably 35-40 at-bats. Time’s on our side in terms of a position player.”

But something isn’t adding up here, as the sidelined Ortiz announced to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber that structurally, everything appears normal with his heel:

That little tear I had is gone because of all the things we did in the offseason. The picture of my Achilles looks normal, looks like a brand-new Achilles. So, I’m not afraid of that. If I’m afraid of that, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.

Abraham wrote that Ortiz has taken batting and fielding practice, while doing some weight lifting. Ortiz told him that he doesn’t believe he’s in any danger of reinjuring himself:

I’m not afraid of that. If I’m afraid of that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. If you have a tear, any bad move that you make it will snap. That’s not my concern anymore. I think we’ll be fine.

If Ortiz, a veteran of 16 major league seasons and the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox, is structurally sound, then it should be asked why it’s taking so long for him to come back?

The Red Sox should be thinking about a contingency plan if Ortiz isn’t ready to go at the start of the season. Not only is he an aging player dealing with a nagging injury, but it’s also been more than seven months since he last played regularly.

If he continues to be unable to play, then his absence from the lineup could have major repercussions for the Red Sox.

While they have a good starting lineup, their bench is a bit thin, especially when it comes to offensive production. The team would likely have to choose among Mike Carp, Ryan Sweeney, Daniel Nava or David Ross, if they needed someone to fill in for their anticipated cleanup hitter.

Boston might be compelled to trade for a bat if Ortiz is out for any length of time, which would likely cost them in prospects and/or from their vaunted bullpen depth.

Ortiz conveyed his frustration to Bradford, but indicated he’s eyeing the long-term, “I want to play. But, you know what? I just want to be ready for Opening Day. They don’t want to rush me. That’s not a smart thing to do.”

For now, waiting is the name of the game.

However, the Red Sox should be crossing their fingers that Ortiz is pronounced healthy and ready to go soon or they could start the year with serious questions and a hole to fill.

Statistics via BaseballReference

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New Red Sox manager John Farrell has his work cut out for him as he tries to pick up the pieces from last year’s horrendous showing under Bobby Valentine. He’s been tasked with patching up the leaking holes that led to the Red Sox’ worst season in nearly 50 years—and then some.

If he can take anything away from his predecessor, it’s a long list of don’ts.

When thinking about all of the things Farrell should approach differently this year than Valentine, the short answer is everything. But here are five crucial lessons to be learned for a guaranteed turnaround in 2013.

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