Shane Victorino left Monday’s game due to hamstring tightness, and Will Middlebrooks left Thursday’s game due to back spasms. On Friday, both were placed on the 15-day disabled list, with Victorino’s move retroactive to May 21.

The Red Sox have called up infielder Jose Iglesias and right-handed reliever Alfredo Aceves to fill the roster spots left vacant by Middlebrooks and Victorino.

The team also activated catcher David Ross off the seven-day concussion disabled list and optioned catcher Ryan Lavarnway to Triple-A.

Iglesias’ recall comes after he was used at third base earlier this week for the first time in his professional career. He’ll bat ninth and play third base on Friday night against the Indians. He hit just .202 in Triple-A this season after starting the year in the majors and batting .450 in limited plate appearances.

Sean McAdam joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to talk about the return of Terry Francona to Fenway, the health of Will Middlebrooks and the performance of Jacoby Ellsbury.

After the first inning of Thursday night’s game fans were treated to a video that highlighted some of Francona’s best times with Boston. Did the former manager spend any time with upper management? Is this smaller market more enjoyable after managing in a city like Boston?

The guys then took some time to focus on things the Sox are currently dealing with. Will Middlebrooks left last night’s game with back spasms and this could put the Red Sox in a difficult spot. Do the Sox have an option to rest him for some time?

They also discussed Jacoby Ellsbury and his so-so performances. Is he hurting his stock in a contract year? Will he have to take a short deal in hopes of driving up his numbers and then cash in after that deal runs out?

Plus, what’s it like in the press box at a Red Sox game when the Bruins are playing big games?

After the first inning of Thursday night’s game between the Indians and Red Sox at Fenway Park, fans were treated to a video of the former Sox currently with the Indians, before the video highlighted some of Francona’s best times with Boston. The manager, who didn’t necessarily want the spotlight on him, waved his appreciation to the crowd and tapped his heart.

“I tried to keep my emotions inside,” Francona said. “When they did that thing after the first inning, I was honored, and I was also thrilled that they showed Cashy [Kevin Cash], Mike Aviles, Matt [Albers], Rich Hill and then Millsy [Brad Mills] standing next to me, who may be my best friend in life. So to share that was pretty awesome.”

With the way Francona’s tenure abruptly and unceremoniously ended following the 2011 season, and with Francona’s book that came out this past offseason, it was surprising to see the former Sox manager talking with Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino prior to the game. Yet Francona seemed to indicate the two have remained in contact with each other.

“There’s an enormous amount of respect,” Francona said of his relationship with Lucchino. “I didn’t like the way things ended, but he went out of his way at the [100th] anniversary to talk to me, and I probably wasn’t the most pleasant. And tonight, he just came down to say hello. I appreciated it.”

Francona stressed that he in no way wanted Thursday night’s game to be about him, and his players did take care of business with a 12-3 blowout victory. Still, he expressed gratitude to the fans for showing their appreciation.

“I appreciate it. It was very heart-felt,” Francona said. “Again, you don’t want to be the main focus. You want to let the players play. But it felt good. I hope they realize that.”

BOSTON (AP) — Terry Francona is back at Fenway Park as an opposing manager for the first time since he left the Red Sox.

Francona brought the Cleveland Indians to Boston for a four-game series starting Thursday night. He was let go by the Red Sox after eight years as their manager following a September 2011 collapse left them out of the playoffs.

He was relaxed and spoke calmly for about 20 minutes in the visiting dugout before the game. After Francona met with reporters, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz came into the dugout and they embraced.

Francona said the Indians arrived in Boston at 5 a.m. and he’s been too busy to think whether he’d be emotional coming back to Fenway.

Extended Interview

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Francona and his first-place Cleveland Indians open a four-game set with the Red Sox on Thursday night, Francona’s first time back as an opposing manager after spending eight years in the Boston dugout.

“If I said that I wasn’t going to have some emotion tonight I’d be lying,” Francona told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Gresh & Zolak on Thursday. “I don’t know what it’s going to be. The thing I’m trying to guard against is, the game is hard enough to play and I don’t want to make it harder on my players.”

“Who knows what is going to pop into my mind (when I first take the field),” Francona joked. “I hope what comes into my mind are happy memories, because there were a lot of good times here. It’s a hard job — it’s a great job but it’s a hard job and it takes a toll on you. It did on me. Being away for a year helps and it eases some of the memories that aren’t so good.”

Read: Red Sox Expecting Warm Reception For Francona

“Coming back with the Indians, now I can look over there and one of my best friends is the manager, so I know they’re in a great place,” Francona said of the Red Sox. “There are a lot of people here I care about a lot. And I’m in a great place; I’m proud to be coming back here as a member of the Indians, so I think it works for everybody.”

“I love this group I’m with,” Tito said of his new job.

Francona said he hasn’t paid too much attention to the Red Sox as he and the Indians grow as a team. But he’s not surprised with the success his former team is having with John Farrell in charge.

“I think what’s going on now, and I said this when Farrell got hired, the glass was immediately half full. What I mean is guys like Pedroia, Buchholz and Ellsbury, there was immediate buy-in because of their respect for John,” said Francona. “I actually thought they were going to be better than people were saying, and now the way they are playing proves that.”

Read: Red Sox-Indians Preview

Francona mentioned all the fun he is having in Cleveland, which includes the team putting together their own Harlem Shake video back in March. It wasn’t something Francona was on board with at first, but was happy to look a little foolish in if it helped the team grow.

“When (Nick Swisher) came in I had no idea what he was talking about. He said we have to do this, so we talked about it for a couple days and I wasn’t very excited about it,” explained Francona. “I love the idea of team building stuff, so I figured if everyone does it and it’s not half-assed, ok I’ll get up and make an idiot of myself. I’ll tell you, doing that at 8:30 in the morning without alcohol wasn’t easy.”

As Terry Francona bring his first-place Cleveland Indians to Fenway for the first in a four-game set, it marks the first time Francona returns to Boston as an opposing manager. He did return as part of the larger celebration of Fenway’s 100th anniversary ceremony, but this time, it’s most certainly different.

“I’m sure I’ll have a lot of emotions,” Francona said Wednesday, adding that he hasn’t thought about the reaction he’ll get from fans. “I don’t really think about stuff like that. I never really spent much time. Just not part of what I’m hopefully about.”

While Francona may not be thinking about his reception, others are.

“I believe that he’s going to get a good ovation. I’m 100 percent sure,” Red Sox DH David Ortiz said Wednesday night. “Tito, he was our manager and he did a great job. It doesn’t matter what happened afterwards. … He got us two World Series, which is something that didn’t happen in a long time. People don’t forget about that.”

Current Sox manager John Farrell, who was Francona’s pitching coach for four years, agreed with Ortiz.

“I think it’ll be a special day when the series kicks off,” Farrell said. “I would fully expect he’d get a great welcome and a great ovation, and deservedly so. That was eight incredible years that he spent here.”

With the Indians playing such solid baseball, Farrell said it’s been hard keeping in touch with Francona.

“I don’t talk to him now, he’s winning every day,” Farrell said. “He’s too busy answering questions about how they’re doing, I think.”

While Francona didn’t say much about his anticipated reception, Indians pitcher Justin Masterson made the case for him.

“I think fans should be cheering, overjoyed and excited simply because the season maybe didn’t end well in his last year [in 2011], but I mean, he put Boston on the map,” Masterson said. “He revitalized the city by bringing Red Sox Nation back because it hadn’t really been much before he got there and it helped, along with many other people, to put them back on the map.

“I don’t think he will let anyone see if it is emotional for him, but I think the caring individual that he is, there’s always going to be a soft spot in his heart for Boston and for Fenway Park and for everything that took place there – and rightfully so. So there will be some joy there, which is why whether or not he gets a good reception, he should, because he deserves it.”

That change could be coming sooner rather than later, but the team will give Ellsbury his fair chance to get out of the slump that has plagued him for much of the first quarter of the season.

“I’ve consider it yes, but we’re sticking with him giving him the opportunity to get out of the situation he is in now,” Farrell said prior to Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss in Chicago. “But I can say this: Whether he’s hitting first or hitting somewhere else in the lineup, there are still things we have to address and he has to address, and those are ongoing.”

Gammons On Toucher & Rich:Should Sox Move Ellsbury Down In Order?

Ellsbury went 1-for-3 on Tuesday night with a single and a walk, boosting his season batting average to .242. For the month of May, the Sox leadoff man is batting just .185 (15-for-81) with eight walks, good for a .267 OBP. Ellsbury has just two extra base hits in 19 games this month, and just 12 for the season.

“He’s in a situation where he’s working to do what he can to get out of this, and we’re working there with him. This isn’t a matter of effort, it’s a matter of maybe being a little more free of mind and letting that natural ability take over,” said Farrell.

The Red Sox were expecting big things from Ellsbury at the top of their lineup this season, especially with him facing free agency in the off-season. Should this be a season-long slump it could cost Ellsbury quite a bit of money when he heads to the negotiating tables with agent Scott Boras, but Farrell doesn’t think off-season plans are what’s getting in Ellsbury’s way right now.

“To say that’s the sole reason, no, I wouldn’t say that’s the issue that he’s dealing with right now,” said Farrell. “I also know that he’s human, and he understands where he’s at in his career and what’s ahead of him. But the point we continually try to make is the routine of today is the most important point and that’s the focal point.”

Read: Iglesias Starts First Game At Third Base For PawSox

Farrell said the discussions of moving Ellsbury in the lineup are ongoing, but Boston doesn’t have many options at leadoff. Shane Victorino would be a likely candidate to take over for Ellsbury, but he is dealing with a hamstring issue that kept him out of Tuesday’s loss. Victorino has missed three of the last five games, missing two games in Minnesota over the weekend with bask spasms.

Dustin Pedroia is another candidate, with 320 career at-bats at leadoff. Pedroia has only hit .253 with a .318 OBP from the one-spot, but has scored 51 runs and 39 of his 81 hits have gone for extra bases in the small sample.

So, for now at least, Ellsbury will remain atop the Boston lineup.

Down in Pawtucket, the 23-year-old has started taking grounders at second and played third base on Tuesday night — the first time Iglesias has played a position other than shortstop since becoming a member of the Red Sox in 2009.

“You see a guy that’s a very capable defender that we want to get exposure to other places in the event that if we do happen to take a look at him being in that utility role at some point this year,” said Boston manager John Farrell. “We still view him as an everyday shortstop, but in the interim, we’re trying to prepare for the potential of coming and filling that role.”

Gammons On Toucher & Rich: Should Sox Move Ellsbury Down In Order?

“It’s in the event that something might happen to someone, to just prepare as best we can if he comes to us in a role that might call on the versatility.”

Iglesias committed an error in his debut at the hot corner, and singled and walked at the plate. Overall he is batting .209 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 32 games.

Read: Red Sox Fall To White Sox 3-1

The Red Sox currently have Pedro Ciriaco as their utility man, who is batting just .183 in 19 games this season. Ciriaco has seen action at short (8 games), third base (4 games) and second base (2), committing an alarming six errors in 36 chances.

With Iglesias getting some experience at other positions, he may soon find himself back in the majors as Boston’s utility infielder.

Peter Gammons joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich to discuss the Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury and Terry Francona returning with his rolling Cleveland Indians.

Jacoby Ellsbury entered Wednesday hitting .242 with a .307 on-base percentage, which places him among the worst leadoff hitters in the game. Do you remove Ellsbury as leadoff hitter? Is Ellsbury hurting his chances of cashing in during free agency? Will a Sox put in a qualifying offer?

Former Sox manager Terry Francona is heading to town with his Cleveland Indians for a series with the Sox starting Thursday. The Indians are having quite a bit of success. What is Francona doing with his new team?

The right-hander has been “shut down,” according to Red Sox manager John Farrell. Bard will be kept to just throwing bullpen sessions in the meanwhile.

This season in Double-A, Bard, 27, has an 0-1 record and 6.39 ERA to go with 17 walks in 12 2/3 innings in his first Double-A playing time since 2008. Bard has also thrown eight wild pitches. That’s after a nightmarish season in 2012, when he failed as a starter (4-6, 5.30 ERA) and could not re-establish himself as a reliever (16.20 ERA in MLB, 7.03 ERA in Triple-A). This year in the majors, he has a 9.00 ERA in his one inning, with two walks and one strikeout.

As recently as May 16, Farrell said shutting down Bard was not an option.

“We haven’t gotten to that point of just taking the ball out of his hand and letting something just take its natural course to resolve itself,” Farrell said, according to MassLive.com. “I don’t think we’re of the mind-set that things are going to just turn for the sake of turning. You’re looking to do something, you’re looking to be proactive, address something with getting involved in a situation like this, and we continue to do so. I’m sure no one is more frustrated than Daniel is.”

It’s unclear what Bard’s future will be, but the most recent setback ensures that his road back to the major leagues just got even longer.

Peter Abraham joined Toucher & Rich to discuss Lester’s struggles against Chicago and another injury to outfielder Shane Victorino.

Victorino left in the sixth inning after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. This is the fifth time this season that Victorino exited a game early with an injury, with the outfielder missing a week in April because of tightness in his lower back and also sitting out two games last week after the injury flared up.

What’s going on with this Victorino? Is this going to be an issue for the Red Sox as time goes on? What can be done to fix the problem?

They moved on to talk about how Lester has struggled against the White Sox throughout his career. Why does he seem to always have a problem with the other Sox in the American League?

They also talked about Daniel Bard’s continued struggles in the minors.

Those seem very possible for Red Sox starter Jon Lester after an amazing start to the 2013 season. He’s followed up his abysmal 2012 by starting this campaign 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA over his first nine starts, with Boston going 7-2 in those games.

But none of those personal accolades were on Lester’s list of goals when he arrived at Spring Training in April.

There are only two words that come to mind when Lester thinks about the end of the 2013 season.

“World Series,” Lester told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM’s Jonny Miller when asked what his goals were this season. “You can take last year, obviously as much as a struggle as it was, if we win a World Series it doesn’t matter. Our ultimate goal whenever when we walk into that clubhouse in Spring Training is to win the World Series, not for me or (Clay) Bucchholz or someone to win 20 games.”

“You want to have a good solid season, help contribute, and get this team to the World Series and hopefully win it.”

Read: Red Sox-White Sox Preview

The calendar is a long way from October, but the fire is burning hot inside Lester. He’ll try to become the first Red Sox lefty to start 7-0 in 40 seasons on Monday night when Boston begins a three-game series with the White Sox in Chicago.

Lester did say he enters each season striving to make each of his starts and give the Red Sox 200+ innings of work (on his current pace, Lester would log 217 innings).

But the main focus is, and always will be, winning a championship.

Lester said he didn’t change his approach too much this offseason after going 9-14 in 2012, but he focused more on the little things on the mound. That, and the attention to detail and upbeat nature of new pitching coach Juan Nieves, have made the difference.

“I don’t want to say I paid a little more attention to detail, but I think that was really it. I just really tried to focus on my mechanics and made sure those were right heading into Spring Training.”

“It’s been good to have him,” Lester said of Nieves. “Just how positive and upbeat he is, how meticulous he is with scouting reports and being prepared. That goes back to spring training; the first day you walk in there and sit down with him he lays out a map of what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s nothing more you can ask of a pitching coach. He’s given all we asked from him and sometimes more.”

Despite his 6-0 record, Lester still says he isn’t throwing the ball as well as he can. His success has come without a consistent curveball, but he’s been able to use his other pitches successfully.

“It’s been nice how I started this season with how I felt. I haven’t felt I’ve put a full game together from pitch one to whenever I’ve done,” he said. “For the most part I’ve pitched this year without a curveball, so I think the biggest pitch for me has been my changeup and how effective it’s been – how consistent it’s been. Without having that breaking ball it’s slowed guys enough that I’m able to get in on guys with the fastball and cutter.”

Read: Red Sox Activate Reliever Andrew Bailey

So where has that curveball gone?

“It’s a feel pitch, just like your changeup,” said Lester. “One day you can wake up, and you grip it the same way every time and it just doesn’t feel right. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it was with my curveball. I feel better with it, but it’s a continued work in progress and something you work through throughout the season.”

While a World Series title is his number one prize, Lester wants to show teammates and fans alike that his and the team’s 2012 is not the norm over at Yawkey Way.

“The biggest thing for me is to prove it was a fluke and I’m still an effective pitcher on this team. As far as the team, we have to get back to being the Boston Red Sox and prove last year was a fluke for us, a blip on the radar, and come in and play better baseball and the do the little things right. I think we’ve done that so far.”

Bailey, who has been out of action since April 29 with a right biceps strain, struck out two batters and allowed one run in an inning of work during a rehab appearance with Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday night.

He was 1-0 with five saves and a 1.46 ERA before the injury, and took over Boston’s closer’s role for the injured/ineffective Joel Hanrahan. Bailey has struck out 20 batters in just 12.1 innings pitched, ranking him fourth among qualifying American League relievers with 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

It’s unclear if Bailey will be reinserted as the team’s closer, or if Junichi Tazawa will continue to pitch the ninth inning for Boston.

To make room for Bailey on the 25-man roster, right-hander Jose De La Torre was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket after Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Twins.

Read: Red Sox-White Sox Preview

The Red Sox open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on Monday — their final series of a nine-game road trip.

In addition to the Tommy John surgery, Hanrahan also had his right flexor tendon repaired by the famous Dr. James Andrews in Florida.

Recovery from Tommy John surgery typically takes 12-16 months.

Boston acquired Hanrahan from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the off-season with the hopes he would be their closer. He struggled to start the season, going four-for-six in save opportunities with a 9.82 ERA, and made two DL trips before being shut down for the season.

“It wasn’t grabbing me that much, but it was still grabbing me a little bit,” Ortiz told reporters after Tuesday night’s loss. “That’s why I’ve been pulling everything, it feels like. Hopefully, it doesn’t get any worse.”

Ortiz said the tightness he’s felt in his left oblique first showed up during Boston’s series in Texas at the beginning of the month. He went just 3-for-25 in a seven-game home stand last week, but other than a day-off on Sunday hasn’t thought about missing any time.

“I’m going to keep on playing,” he said. “It’s not at the point where it’s getting worse. Hopefully it won’t get any worse. It bothers me on some swings that I take. Last week I was watching some videos of outside pitches I was kind of pulling. When you get to the point where you want to drive the ball the other way and the next thing you know, you’re hooking the ball, that’s not normal.”

Preview: Lester Set To Face Off Against Rays’ David Price

“I’ve got to play; I’ve had enough time off,” Ortiz said. “It’s not at a point where you can pull [the muscle]. If you pull it, then you’re definitely not able to play. I just come in early to treat it and try to move forward.”

The 37-year-old Ortiz is hitting .329 with five homes and 20 RBIs in 20 games since returning from an Achilles injury on April 20.

During Sunday’s 12-4 loss to the Blue Jays, Boston right fielder Shane Victorino was taken to the hospital to have his ribs examined on  following a hard crash into the right field wall.

Victorino gave chase to a fourth inning Emilio Bonifacio home run, keeping his eyes on the ball, but ran out of room and right into the short fence in front of the Toronto bullpen. He fell to the ground in obvious pain, but remained in the game for two more innings before leaving for the hospital.

“The way Shane hit the wall, he started to stiffen up as the game went on,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said after the loss. “Given what he’s been dealing with, low back-wise, we weren’t going to take any chances further today.”

A back issue plagued Victorino  in late April, causing him to miss seven games. He returned on a full-time basis on May 3 and has been on a bit of a tear, batting .393 with six runs scored and two home runs in the last seven days.

Farrell sounded optimistic that Victorino would be good to go when Boston opens a three-game series (and nine-game road trip) in Tampa on Tuesday.

“Everything to points to him being ready for Tuesday,” Farrell said.

Earlier this week, Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks and catcher David Ross collided with each other while giving chase to a foul ball. Middlebrooks missed a game with sore ribs after crashing into the wall in foul territory. Ross only missed one game as well, but was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list on Sunday after suffering a head injury in Saturday’s loss.

The 31-year old right-hander said Saturday the operation likely will be performed by Dr. James Andrews, probably next week.

“After talking with the doctors here and going down to see Dr. Andrews, he confirmed what the doctors here thought,” Hanrahan said in Boston’s clubhouse. “I’m going to have to get surgery to repair my flexor tendon. It’s something that, after hearing the doctors here, it’s something I kind of prepared for. He just reaffirmed those. I’m going to get it done next week and start the process of getting healthy.”

Hanrahan walked off the mound in the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-5, 11-inning win over Minnesota after throwing a pitch.

He tweeted that he’s disappointed with the situation and hopes to be back with the Red Sox next year.

“Definitely not the way I wanted my time here with the Red Sox to go, hopefully I’ll get a chance to show (Red Sox Nation) the real pitcher I am someday,” Hanrahan tweeted. “Thank you to everyone for their well wishes and prayers! Things happen for a reason. I’ll be back and look forward to dominating my rehab!”

Obtained from Pittsburgh in an offseason trade, the two-time All-Star is making $7.04 million this year and is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He is 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA in nine games and was on the disabled list from April 14 to May 7 with a strained right hamstring.

During his brief stint with the Red Sox, he conveted four of six save chances. Now, he’s hoping that it’s only the forearm that needs surgery — and not a elbow ligament-replacement operation, as well.

“He’ll look at that when he’s in there. The MRI said it looked pretty good,” Hanrahan said. “Nobody wants to just do Tommy John for fun. He’s going to go in and look and see if that’s something that needs to be done or not. As of now, it doesn’t need to be. But once he gets his eyes on it, he’ll have a better idea.”

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

All of that is what makes him “Big Papi.”

However, because of that, perhaps he is too easy of a target sometimes.

You can ask Ortiz pretty much anything about his team, his hitting, his slumping, and even his personal life. I’ve had many conversations over the years where we’ve just talked about anything and everything; from the NBA playoffs to kids to coaches, all the way down the line. Many times, we’ve had a conversation and we’ll stumble into what I think is an interesting topic that the fans may want to hear about, so I end up asking him to go on-camera about it.

And nearly every time, Ortiz will oblige.

But that is the very thing that I think that got him into trouble this week.

My media colleague Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe recently wrote a column based on a conversation he had with Ortiz about David’s hot start at the plate. But what it centered around performance enhancing drugs. Here’s an exchange from the article:

Did he hear the fans in Toronto chanting, “Steroids!’’?

“No, not really,” said Ortiz. “Why?’’

Because what you are doing looks too good to be true.

“They test me all the time,” he said. “They make you pee and they test your blood, too. This year I would say I’ve probably been tested five times, peeing. Blood, just once. That was in spring training. They don’t warn you. They just show up.’’

What it is like to be suspected?

“I don’t think I have been,” he said. “Nobody comes to me and tells me, ‘They suspect you are using steroids.’ ’’

But you fit all the models. You are from the Dominican Republic. You are an older player. Older players don’t get better. You’ve had injuries consistent with steroid use. You showed up on the list from 2003. You fit all the formulas.

“[Expletive], I’m a human being just like everyone else,” said Ortiz. “You can get worse or you can get better. One or the other.’’

I understand and respect what Dan has done over his career. He’s very good at stirring the pot and getting a reaction, but this one I file under entrapment.

Simply put, Dan crossed a line.

Ortiz was probably doing his usual thing in the locker room when approached by Dan. Like he always does, Ortiz gave him honest answers when asked.

But make no mistake, the topic blindsided him.

After all, David has just overcome an Achilles injury and was crushing the ball upon his return to the tune of .426 batting average, .458 on-base percentage, .815 slugging percentage, and a 1.273 OPS.

Read: Ortiz Hurt Over PED Talk

When Dan started firing these questions at him, Ortiz probably thought, at first, that Dan was joking with him or thinking he was looking for a quick comment about the Jays fans and their chanting. However, Dan kept going and going, to the point where Ortiz was clearly ticked off.

Now, you can argue that given David’s age (37) and history that you could broach the subject, and David would give you some type of answer. But that’s it. This one kept going.

And it wasn’t fair to Ortiz.

Would Dan walk into the Patriots locker room and ask Wes Welker these questions after the receiver returned much earlier than anyone expected after badly tearing up his knee in Week 17 in 2009, and continued to put up huge receiving numbers in 2010, 2011, and 2012?

You could ask guys other guys on the Red Sox these questions. Mike Napoli has such a bad hip that the Red Sox switched in midstream from a long-term deal to a one year contract with incentives. Why not approach Mariano Rivera, who’s as good as ever with the Yankees after ripping up his knee last year?

Ortiz defended himself well by saying he’s been tested “probably five times” by MLB, and we haven’t seen any positive results. End of story, right?

Nope. Dan kept going. But if you know David, you know he’s too nice to tell someone to go away.

Since the column came out, David has had to defend himself by doing various other interviews. Honestly, it’s a waste of his time. He shouldn’t have to — he should be focusing on what he does best: hitting.

Read: Red Sox-Blue Jays Preview

You knew he may say something that won’t come out right or is taken the wrong way by the fans; it was bound to happen and now this is all his fault. If he slumps, it’s all on him.

The story has also gone national, no doubt becoming a distraction for him — and perhaps his teammates.

I feel bad for David Ortiz. I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t talk to the media again.

You did a good job Dan; you got everyone talking about and reading your story.

Mission accomplished.

Follow WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.