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David Ortiz' strong words to ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes about not getting respect for his leadership in the Red Sox clubhouse left the "PTI" guys shaking their heads.

Tony Kornheiser called Ortiz the "unquestioned face of the Red Sox" and asked, "What is he nervous about? "What's he insecure about?"

Michael Wilbon went further: "Every time I'm in Boston ... all I read about is how great a guy David Ortiz is, how wonderful he is in the clubhouse, from the media, from the fans. They cheer him when he walks down the street. Stop! How much love can you stand, Papi? Everybody loves you."

BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was removed from Friday's game in the seventh inning due to soreness in his left heel, but he's back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cleveland Indians.

He received treatment in the afternoon and was able to take BP. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine spoke with Ortiz and it was determined the DH would be ready to go.

"Ortiz is in the lineup and when I talked to him he said he's probably not going to be stealing a lot of bases tonight but he's OK to go," Valentine said. "We have an understanding if he feels anything, like maybe he should not swinging, even if it's in the middle of an at-bat, he'll let us know. He says he OK to go and the training room thinks he's OK to go."

Ortiz is hitting .352 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in the first 33 games of the season.

NOTES

• With interleague play quickly approaching, Valentine said he's still thinking about the best way to handle not having a designated hitter when the team plays a three-game set against the Phillies next week in Philadelphia. It's a tough call to remove Ortiz's bat from the lineup at this point. Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has said he'd be OK with playing the outfield in order to have Ortiz play first.

"We'll see as it goes," Valentine said.

That led to Valentine being asked about his thoughts on the DH.

"In general, though, when you have a good one it's a really good way to make out a lineup, and we have a really good one," Valentine said.

As far as the way the interleague rules are concerned, Valentine would like to see the DH rule switched up a little bit.

"The only way I thought there should be an adjustment is to flip-flop it and have the DH in the National League city and have the pitcher hit in the American League city -- just for the fans," Valentine said. "So the fans in the different cities can see the different play, but I don't know how you really adjust it."

• Speaking of interleague play, Red Sox pitchers hitting have been hitting in the cage of late but some of them took swings on the field during early batting practice Saturday afternoon at Fenway.

"From what I gather, we have some guys who, not only like to swing, but can swing," Valentine said. "There's nothing wrong with getting a hit if they go up there."

• Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis continues to rehab a lower-back strain. He played catch for the first time on Friday since going on the 15-day DL and he extended his game of catch again on Saturday. He said afterward that he's feeling better. He's eligible to come off the DL on Monday but that could be a long shot at this point. There has not been a conversation, yet, whether or not he'll need to make a minor league rehab stint before returning to the lineup.

"I think that'll be up to Youk," Valentine said.

BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz left Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Indians in the seventh inning with left heel soreness.

Ortiz was 1-for-3 at the time. He walked and scored in the first and had an infield single in the fifth. In beating out the hit at first base he appeared to land a bit awkwardly. Darnell McDonald pinch-hit for Ortiz in the seventh.

UPDATE: After the game, Bobby Valentine provided all he knew of the injury.

"David got that infield hit and, I haven't gotten the complete word, it seemed when he strided at the bag he may have bruised his heel," the manager said. "That's what they reported to me. Bruised heel, couldn't go, so that's how I think he did it."

Ortiz was not in the Red Sox clubhouse after the game.

It was all part of an interesting day for Ortiz, who was uninjured in a minor car accident a block from Fenway Park on Friday afternoon.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox offense has been incredibly inconsistent on the young season. It has been held to three runs or fewer 10 times already. It also has scored in double figures seven times.

When it’s on, as was the case Monday against Oakland, it’s a pretty impressive attack. And perhaps nobody in all of the American League is as impressive at the plate right now as David Ortiz.

Boston’s designated hitter once again was the catalyst in an 11-6 victory over the A’s. He homered twice, both of them solo shots off left-handed starter Tommy Milone, marking the first time in his career he's gone deep twice against a lefty in a game. Ortiz finished April, a month that has given him fits in recent years, with a robust .405 (34-for-84) average, 6 homers and 20 RBIs. He leads the Red Sox in nearly every offensive category and is hitting .448 (13-for-29) against lefties.

“David’s a star of stars right now. It’s hard to throw a strike by him,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “He’s using all fields. He’s seeing the ball awfully well. I know that’s an old cliché but he gets two balls, no strikes it doesn’t even bother him to take because he’s very confident.

“His swing is as good as it can get.”

It seems Ortiz is climbing Red Sox leaderboards on a nightly basis. Ortiz' first home run Monday gave him 383 for his career, snapping a tie with Hall of Famer Jim Rice and Frank Howard on the all-time list. His second blast broke a tie with Larry Walker. With 384 homers, Ortiz is tied with Harold Baines for 57th on the all-time list.

The next bomb will tie former Red Sox great Dwight Evans.

In addition, Ortiz has 36 multi-homer games with Boston, just one behind Ted Williams for first in Red Sox history. Ortiz also moved into the top 10 in hits in a Red Sox uniform on Monday, surpassing Mike Greenwell.

In typical fashion, Ortiz was succinct in his assessment, saying “I feel good, I feel good,” when asked about his hot start.

He was even more matter-of-fact when asked about Monday's second homer, which saw right fielder Josh Reddick fall into the Boston bullpen in an effort to make the catch.

“That guy, he didn’t catch the ball,” Ortiz plainly noted of his former teammate’s failed attempt at stopping one guy who cannot be stopped right now.

The beginning of the biggest comeback in baseball history.

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said that David Ortiz is so locked in right now that he cannot even tell whether Ortiz is facing a right-hander or a left-hander. Hitting coach Dave Magadan called Ortiz “a man on a mission.”

In true Ortiz fashion, the Red Sox designated hitter chalked up his latest escapade as just another day at the office.

“I’m a trooper, man. I’ve been here 10 years,” Ortiz said when asked what has led to his early offensive prowess. “I just go about my business. I don’t really care what anybody says or what anybody tries to put in my head. I just go about my business day by day, try my best.”

Despite Ortiz’s best efforts to shrug it aside, it was hard not to notice the buzz surrounding his most recent effort, a 3-for-4 showing in a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. It was Boston’s third straight win to open the series and the third straight game in which Ortiz proved to be the catalyst.

The slugger is 9-for-13 (.692) with three doubles, a home run and eight RBIs in the series. The highlight of Sunday’s game was an RBI double to center field in the sixth, a line drive he ripped off a 94 mph fastball from left-hander Matt Moore. With that missile off the extreme right side of the Green Monster, Ortiz had seven straight hits, was batting .457 on the season and had improved to 6-for-13 (.462) against lefties.

Those gaudy numbers represent an extreme departure from the Ortiz of just a few seasons ago, when he had two distinct bugaboos: April and left-handed pitching. He was miserable in the former and in a steep decline against the latter. Both are now non-factors for the scorching 36-year-old.

While that may shock some who saw him flail against lefties, particularly early in the year, during that time, it comes as no surprise to those who were in the trenches with Ortiz.

“I told him a couple of years ago that he has a lot of baseball left in him. He’s proving that this year,” Magadan said. “I think he just likes proving you guys wrong. Three years ago everybody was writing him off. A lot of us here in Boston felt like he had a lot of baseball left in him. He was doing some mechanical things incorrectly. He was thinking a little bit too much pull.

“Whenever you see a guy taking batting practice and the ball’s coming in at 60 miles per hour and you can hit a ball 450 feet in batting practice, he’s still got bat speed. I know a lot of that bat speed was questioned a few years back but we all believed in him, he believed in himself and the rest is history.”

Part of that history of belief and trust is contained in Valentine’s offseason “recruiting trip” to the Dominican Republic to meet with Ortiz, then a free agent. If that visit had anything to do with what is happening now -- Ortiz still in a Red Sox uniform, still crushing the baseball -- then Valentine can pat himself on the back. He isn’t doing so, but he is happy he made the effort.

“I definitely wanted him to know that the new guy wanted him,” Valentine said. “That’s basically all I said. I always appreciated watching him from afar and I know how important he is to any team and I wanted him on mine.”

Ortiz has always been an imposing presence, literally and figuratively. He entered spring training with a goal of increasing that presence and becoming a leader on a team that needed some guys to step up. Although he has not altered anything in particular about his demeanor, Ortiz has been the ultimate example for his teammates.

“The best way to lead is to come up in a big spot and produce,” Valentine said. “He’s done that this first 10 days, there’s no doubt about that. ... He has the same at-bat from the first inning to the ninth, regardless of who’s throwing, whether it’s soft or hard, in or out. It’s a determined at-bat. When you have that kind of determination you get some success and he’s been very successful.”

Kevin Youkilis led off the bottom of the second inning Sunday with Boston’s first hit, a single to left. Ortiz followed with his first double off Moore, this one a shot over the head of right fielder Ben Zobrist. It was the first big hit of the day for the Red Sox.

It also was part of an effort that lifted his OPS against left-handers to 1.015. Although it has been well-documented, it is worth repeating that that number took the following roller-coaster ride from 2006 to 2011: .988, .852, .741, .716, .599 and .989.

If the first two weeks of the season are any indication, the considerable punch that Ortiz showed against lefties last year was no fluke. Nor was his promise to step up and stand tall for his teammates and the new manager who had wanted him back.

BOSTON -- In winning only one of six games on the season-opening road trip, the Boston Red Sox’ offense had not exactly looked like a juggernaut.

But a heaping helping of home cooking seems to be just what the doctor ordered for the struggling bats.

Saturday, the Sox pounded out 15 hits, 10 of which were for extra bases, including five homers, one each by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Aviles, David Ortiz and Cody Ross, in a 13-5 victory of the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Ortiz, Ross, Aviles, Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Sweeney each contributed a double, as Boston erased a 4-0 first-inning deficit, snapped a 5-5 tie with a three-run seventh and poured it on with five more runs in the eighth.

It was the second straight drubbing of the vaunted Tampa Bay pitching staff by the Sox, who improved to 3-5 for the season.

In Friday's home opener, the Red Sox broke open a tight game with eight runs in the eighth inning for a 12-2 win. Two of Tampa’s top starters, David Price and Jeremy Hellickson, combined to throw a total of only nine innings as the patient Sox made them work and made them pay for mistakes.

On Saturday, Ortiz went 4-for-5 with five RBIs, which was one more RBI than he had accumulated in the team’s first seven games of the season. Ross, taking over for injured Jacoby Ellsbury in center field, iced the game with a two-run double in the seventh and put the exclamation point on the win with a two-run homer in the eighth.

In six games on the road, Boston totaled 22 runs. In the two games at home, the Sox have posted 25. In their first seven games, the Sox hit a total of two home runs. They clouted five Saturday.

To hear the Sox tell it, it was only a matter of time for the offense to come to life.

“We scored the most runs in baseball last year,” Saltalamacchia said. “We know we can score runs.”

Ortiz seconded that sentiment.

“We have a good offensive team,” said Ortiz, who racked up at least four hits and five RBIs in a game for the third time in his career. “It’s time to produce. It’s not going to happen every day but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to go at it. We have good hitters."

Ortiz said that even without Ellsbury "we’ve got to keep on rolling, keep on moving. Definitely it’s going to hurt us not having Ells in our lineup. Without him, of course, we're going to miss him a lot. But whenever we can come out and produce like we did today we’ve got to take advantage of it,” Ortiz said.

Pedroia said the approach has to be simple.

“I don’t think any of the guys think about it," Pedroia said of Ellsbury’s absence. "We’re just out playing. We’re facing some pretty tough pitching right now. Taking it one pitch at a time and trying to put together good at-bats.”

That approach is working very well right now.

Notes: McClure absent -- Pitching coach Bob McClure was ill and wasn’t available during the game. Bullpen coach Gary Tuck assumed his duties, strolling out to the mound in the first inning to talk with Clay Buchholz after the Sox right-hander had been torched for a three-run homer by Luke Scott. . . . Venerable Red Sox ambassador Johnny Pesky was honored in a pregame ceremony for his longtime service to the organization. Saturday was the anniversary of his 1942 major-league debut, when he had a single and a triple in the Fenway Park home opener en route to a 205-hit rookie season. . . . Che-Hsuan Lin made his major-league debut, taking over for Ross in center field in the ninth. He is the first Taiwanese-born player to appear in a game for the Red Sox. . . . The Sox won their second in a row, the team’s first two-game winning streak since taking a doubleheader from Oakland last Aug. 27.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A few takeaways from the Fort, where the Boston Red Sox may or may not have damaged their chances to win the Mayor’s Cup with a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Friday night:

Making a case: Andrew Miller just wants to make the team at this point. Sure, it’d be nice to be the fifth starter. But after missing 10 days with elbow stiffness, he might be running out of time.

Miller pitched a solid inning -- no hits, two strikeouts and one walk on 14 pitches, nine strikes -- but he has managed just three innings all spring.

“The goal for me is more to be with the club than anything,” he said, “but if starting is going to be in the equation, it’s going to have to happen pretty fast. I think I threw 26 pitches the first time out and today around 15, so I’ve got a ways to go if I’m expected to throw seven innings.”

He said he’d cherish a regular starting role, feeling his varying roles have not been the best recipe for success.

“My ultimate goal is consistency, and that’s been my downfall historically,” he said. “Even if I have one start, two starts in a month, that’s good. The goal for a starter is someone who consistently gives you a chance every time, not five out of six or four out of five.”

Manager Bobby Valentine said that whether he’s a starter or reliever, he should eliminate pitching out of a windup.

“It seemed like there were two different guys out there -- one guy I didn’t want to look at out of the windup and one I’d look at all night long out of the stretch,” Valentine said. “He was terrific out of the stretch. I thought every pitch was quality, crisp, to the target and damn near unhittable.

“If he comes in with no one on base, that doesn’t mean he has to pitch out of a windup, or if he starts a game, that doesn’t mean he has to pitch out of a windup.”

Miller’s verdict on the elbow?

“The real test will be tomorrow morning,” he said.

Jamming: It wasn’t vintage Jon Lester. But he wasn’t sweating it. Just move on.

“Physically I felt fine -- just a little out of whack, out of rhythm,” said Lester, who hit two batters, walked one and gave up five hits and two runs in four innings. “I really couldn’t make the adjustment and be consistent, repeat. That was the big thing: I couldn’t repeat. I went through a lot of pitches.

“Stuff like this happens during the season. There’s games where you’ve got to grind it out and you’re not feeling that great, whether it’s physical or mechanical, like I was tonight. Minimize damage. It was spring training, but I was pretty able to do that. Obviously, it’s a good thing to work on—pitching out of jams. You’ve got to do it during season. You might as well practice it here. Obviously, it’s not ideal. I don’t want all those base runners. Just one of those nights. Got to grind through it."

Said Valentine, “It looked like everything was a little bit more of an effort than it will be soon, I hope. But all in all, he was all right.”

Papi’s promise: David Ortiz said that when he retires, we won’t see him again in uniform -- unlike Andy Pettitte, who signed with the Yankees on Friday after retiring in 2010, or Roger Clemens, who was a serial comebacker and as recently as November reportedly wanted to play winter ball in Puerto Rico.

“I’m going to play, and when I stop, I stop,” he said. “It don’t make no sense (to) stop and then come back. You’re going to be behind. I don’t know. Everybody’s got their reasons.”

Papi’s Tribute: After Ortiz was robbed of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning when center fielder Joe Benson snagged his laser shot in front of the 420-foot sign, Ortiz approached the Sox dugout, clapped, then turned around and tipped his helmet toward Benson.

“David killed that ball,” Valentine said.

Valentine on Benson: “The kid looks like a player. I like that kid. He’ll have a lower number soon.”

Pedro for President: Earlier in the week, Valentine said infielder Pedro Ciriaco couldn’t impress anyone more than he already had. But just for kicks, he keeps trying to do it.

After going 1-for-3 with a double and run scored on Friday, he’s hitting .588. He went into the game tied for the team lead with Lars Anderson in RBIs (5) and second on the team behind Darnell McDonald in total bases (14).

“It’s pretty good to hear that,” Ciriaco said of Valentine’s praise. “I’m just trying to keep working to do whatever I can to be a better player.”

Nothing Ciriaco does will really change the facts: There isn’t a spot in Boston for him to start the season. After hitting .303 for the Pirates in six different stints covering 23 games last year, he’s projected to start at second base at Triple-A Pawtucket.

“I don’t really think about it,” he said. “Just go day to day. I don’t put too much pressure on myself. I play the game to have fun.”

He said his walk-off homer in Monday’s 5-3 win over the Miami Marlins was the first of his baseball career at any level, and his first game-winning hit since 2008 in Class A Visalia.

Theo deal (almost) complete: RHP Aaron Kurcz, an 11th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2010 first-year player draft, was acquired Thursday as the player to be named in the compensation deal for former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. Kurcz pitched for high Class A Daytona last season and is 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings over two seasons. Boston must still send a player to the Cubs to finally bring this drawn-out affair to an end.

Getting it in: Earlier Friday, pitchers Chris Carpenter and Justin Germano faced Orioles farmhands at JetBlue Park. Carpenter (Double-A Portland) gave up an unearned run on three hits over three innings, throwing 29 strikes and 15 balls. Germano (Triple-A Pawtucket) allowed three hits over three scoreless innings, throwing 31 strikes and 13 balls.

Mayor’s Cup no more? The Red Sox now have a 2-1 lead in what will be a six-game series with the Twins. The Red Sox and Twins used to compete for the Mayor’s Cup, with the Red Sox representing Fort Myers and the Twins representing Lee County. But that ended when the Red Sox moved out of City of Palms Park in the city limits of Fort Myers and into JetBlue Park, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.
The Red Sox apparently are under the belief that they are still playing for it, but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said earlier this spring that the Cup is “in somebody’s cabin now, in Minnesota.” Gardenhire couldn’t clarify Friday night: He missed the game to attend his father-in-law’s funeral.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- While Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was holding his daily briefing with the media on Wednesday, the music from within the clubhouse could be heard clearly on the outside.

That means DJ David Ortiz has arrived.

Ortiz is the only player with a double locker stall in the new Red Sox clubhouse at JetBlue Park. His real estate consists of a corner stall, with his own full-length mirror and another bench against the wall.

It didn’t take him long to unpack and set up camp with the music blaring.

“They told me it would be loud and Merengue, and they were right,” Valentine said. “The clubhouse is full of David right now and I expect him to have that smile as often as possible so he can light up our clubhouse and our dugout. I’m hoping he can swing the bat like he did last year.”

Leadership 101: Based on what happened to the Red Sox in the final month of the 2011 season, a main focus this spring training has been the leadership qualities of the players.

“I want them to understand the difference between right and wrong, and for those who are confused, put them on the right pace,” Valentine said.

Captain, my captain: Depending on the status of veteran catcher Jason Varitek, Valentine hasn’t decided whether or not the Sox will name a successor to the captain.

“I haven’t planned on that,” Valentine said. “If the team thinks a captain is a cool thing, I think that could be considered. It’s not like I don’t think a captain is necessary. Then again, I don’t know if it’s so necessary that you can’t live without it.”

Then Valentine asked a simple question: “Who was the captain last year of [World Series champion] St. Louis?”

Members of the media did not have the answer.

“They didn’t have one,” Valentine said. “So you can win a world championship without a captain.”

Valentine added: “If Jason Varitek is not on the team, I think there’s a lot of void that needs to be filled. From what I gather because I was never in uniform with him, he brought a lot to the table even when he wasn’t playing, and part of what he did was bridge the gap of understanding between catchers and pitchers.”

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia was asked if he would want to wear the ‘C,’ but that’s something he said he’s not interested in.

New digs cause dents: Speaking of Pedroia, following the voluntary workout for position players, he was sitting at his locker in the new clubhouse at JetBlue Park and sporting a nasty gash on the top of his head. He explained that he smashed his melon on the corner of the shelf drawer atop his locker stall earlier in the day.

V meets Iggy: On one of the back fields during voluntary workouts for position players on Wednesday, Valentine stood and watched the defensive prowess of shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias. Valentine compared Iglesias to Rey Ordonez, who played for him with the Mets.

“My first impression is that he can catch it,” Valentine said. “I bet he can throw it after he catches it, too. He has an interesting exchange. A lot of people will make the comparison, and I did see similarities to Rey Ordonez in play/glove action. Initially, it looked like he had more range than Rey."

Too early for lineups: In the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, the video board at JetBlue Park flashed a Red Sox lineup card. Here was the order:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Adrian Gonzalez
4. Kevin Youkilis
5. David Ortiz
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
7. Carl Crawford
8. Nick Punto
9. Cody Ross

Valentine has already fielded a number of questions about the batting order, especially in regards to Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford. Both Crawford and Dustin Pedroia want to hit second in the order because that’s where they're are the most comfortable. Once Grapefruit League actions starts and Valentine pencils in a lineup, he wants to make sure each player will be put in a spot that will give the entire lineup success.

“There is a thing about hitting in an order that sometimes guys have mental conditions,” explained Valentine. “I'm pretty sure it was Mike Piazza who came to me [with the Mets] and said, ‘Hey, I can’t hit fourth.’ I said, ‘Oh, you should have told me before I made the lineup.’ Then he hit fourth for us and he’s going to the Hall of Fame, so it’s one of those things.”

BOSTON -- It's too early in the offseason for the Boston Red Sox to start considering the status of free agents David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon.

Both were major contributors for the Sox this season and both will be looking for multiyear contracts at big bucks. Whether they remain with the club remains to be seen, but general manager Theo Epstein said during the team's postmortem news conference that he would like to have both back in 2012.

"I can't say too much about that now except the general and the obvious that we'd love to have both guys back if there's a way to do that," Epstein said. "They've been huge contributors here, not only on the field but as leaders."

Ortiz was consistent all season and finished with a .309 average, 29 homers and 96 RBIs in 146 games. The team's designated hitter will turn 36 on Nov. 18 and he has made it no secret he wants a long-term contract with Boston. He made $12.5 million in 2011 after the club exercised its option last winter.

"I think David's been (a leader) for a long time. He's been the face of the franchise and instrumental figure in our clubhouse," Epstein said.

Papelbon picked up 31 saves this season and became the first pitcher ever to record 30-plus saves in his first six full seasons in the big leagues. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, he'll be remembered for his blown save and loss in Wednesday's final game of the season against the Baltimore Orioles.

Papelbon said following that loss that he wouldn't let that moment define his season or his career. When asked if he wanted to remain with the Red Sox, he said that would take care of itself during the offseason.

Before Papelbon left Fenway Park on Thursday afternoon he spoke with Epstein.

"I actually told Pap earlier today that he took his overall game to a new level this year, not just on the field, but he demonstrated leadership capabilities," Epstein said. "There was a time earlier in his career where I never thought I would say that about Pap, but he really matured. He grew up a Red Sox and I was proud with the way he took that next step to lead by example. We'd love to keep both guys if we could."

BOSTON -- Designated hitter David Ortiz said he thinks that right-handed reliever Alfredo Aceves should be in the Red Sox starting rotation.

“To be honest with you, the way things are going he should be starting,” Ortiz said. “It’s as simple as that. Give it a shot.”

Aceves tossed three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in Boston’s 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader. Rookie Kyle Weiland, who has made five major-league starts and hasn't won a game, allowed six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings.

Aceves has allowed only four earned runs in his last 14 outings (28 1/3 innings) and continues to keep the opposition off balance. Meanwhile, the starting rotation has been a major issue. In 18 games this month, Red Sox starters have recorded only two quality starts with a combined 6.38 ERA. The back end of the rotation behind Jon Lester and Josh Beckett -- Weiland, John Lackey, Tim Wakefield and Andrew Miller -- is 1-7 with an 8.24 ERA in 11 starts this month.

“He’s got good stuff, man. You see how easy he gets hitters out,” Ortiz said. “I think, at one point, he should be starting. It all depends on what our front office decides, but he’s got good stuff, man. We definitely need a guy like that, a guy to come in and give us six or seven good innings. He seems like he’s capable of doing it. We’ll see.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona recently admitted that the idea of putting Aceves into the rotation was discussed.

“If we don’t have him in the bullpen, I’m not sure where we’d go right now,” Francona said last week. “It’s not just the idea of him starting because he can do that. I don’t know how you replace him in the bullpen.’’

Aceves entered Monday’s matinee in the top of the seventh inning and retired the side in order. He allowed the first two batters to reach in the eighth, but settled in and retired the next three batters to end the threat and kept it a one-run deficit.

“Aceves has been doing that time and time again,” Francona said. “The one inning he got himself into a bind, he pitched himself out of it. He’s done a tremendous job. I wish he was available in the second game. Knowing Aceves I bet he wants to be.”

Aceves was fired up, pumping his fist and screaming all kinds of things on the mound. He also got out of a one-out jam in the top of the ninth. He tossed a total of 53 pitches.

“He’s got electric stuff. We’ve been saying that for a while, right?” Ortiz said.

Aceves has a 9-2 record in 50 appearances (four starts) this season with two saves and a 2.74 ERA in 105 innings. In his last 14 outings, his ERA is 1.28.

BOSTON -- Designated hitter David Ortiz was a late scratch from the Red Sox lineup because of back spasms.

Ortiz was originally in the lineup as the cleanup hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays but was replaced by Jed Lowrie in the bottom of the first inning.

Ortiz showed no ill effects prior to the game, but he did take an awkward swing in the cage during batting practice.

UPDATE: After the game, manager Terry Francona said, "Right before the game, and I mean right before the game, his back was getting stiff. He thought he was going to be OK, we turned in the lineup cards, but then he tried to swing and it got really tight, so we had to scratch him."

Major League Baseball announced that David Ortiz was named the Boston Red Sox 2011 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. Ortiz is one of the 30 finalists for the award, which, according to the press release, “recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.”

Ortiz will be honored during a pregame ceremony at Fenway Park on Sept. 14 for his nomination.

“David’s big heart is something we have all witnessed on the baseball diamond during games and in the dugout with his teammates, but it extends far beyond that,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino “His compassion for children in need of medical care is something that is very important to him, and it is, perhaps, fitting that a man with such a generous heart would be committed to a cause that helps children fix their own. We applaud his charitable work, both in his native home in the Dominican Republic, as well as in his home here in New England.”

“I am honored to have been chosen as the Red Sox nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award,” said Ortiz. “I look forward to continuing to help even more children receive the medical care they need through my charity.”

Tim Wakefield received the award last season.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who hasn't played since Aug. 14 because of bursitis in his right heel, ran sprints Tuesday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and reported feeling no discomfort or tenderness.

Ortiz ran for approximately five minutes on the outfield grass under the watchful eye of head trainer Mike Reinold.

When asked if he could be ready to be back in the lineup on Wednesday, Ortiz said he feels ready to go right now.

“I want to be in the lineup right now,” he said. “I can’t be watching this [stuff] anymore, but I’ve got to wait to see what the doctors say. I have to stay on top of it because this is something if you don’t do exactly what they say it can catch up with you later on, so I don’t want to be stupid.”

Ortiz said he might be ready to pinch hit during Tuesday’s game if needed.

“Probably,” he said.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Designated hitter David Ortiz (bursitis in right heel) hit in the batting cage again today and will be re-evaluated to see if he can get out of the walking boot he’s been wearing for the last five days. Ortiz said he hopes to return during this series, and believes Tuesday could be the day.

“Now, it’s not so much comfort because when he hits he’s good,” manager Terry Francona said, “but as the point of tenderness goes away enough where the medical people think he can start doing some running and not go backward. He’ll be looked at every day.”

Francona also laid out a schedule for the return of right fielder J.D. Drew, who has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a left shoulder impingement. Drew will begin a four-game minor league rehab assignment Friday at Single-A Lowell and play two games for the Spinners. He will then return to Boston and hit with the Sox on Sunday before having Monday off. He’ll then play on Tuesday and Wednesday at Triple-A Pawtucket. If everything goes well, he’s scheduled to be activated on Thursday.

Reliever Bobby Jenks tossed a 24-pitch simulated game on Monday in Fort Myers, Fla., and Francona said it went well.

Jenks, who has been on the disabled list with back tightness, was able to throw all of his pitches and is scheduled to throw another simulated game on Wednesday.

"He did well. Actually he did real well," Francona said.