David Ortiz Reveals He Has Oblique Injury

May 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo has reported that David Ortiz has an oblique injury that may have started back in the Texas series. For a team already slumping badly (three straight, six of seven and nine of 11 losses) this is not the news fans were looking for.

Papi’s sore left oblique is, “something that affected my swing for a while,” Ortiz told Cafardo. So it appears Dan Shaughnessy’s article had nothing to do with Papi’s recent slump, broken last night with a three run blast in a 5-3 Red Sox loss to Tampa Bay.

Unless Papi truly isn’t ready to go it appears he’ll be hanging tough and staying in the lineup (he was also seen in the dugout last night pulling on the toes of shoes and wincing as he stretched both achilles tendons), which is about all the Red Sox can do if they’re to pull out of their current funk.

What do you think the Red Sox need to do to get back on the winning track? Fire away!