David Ortiz Undergoes Surgery, Still Dealing With Complications From 2019 Shooting

Former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz underwent surgery on Wednesday, two years to the day after he was shot in the back in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. ESPN reported that he underwent surgery for two stomach hernias. Those two hernias were the result of the aforementioned shooting.

Ortiz was reportedly treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The surgery had been scheduled since February and is said to have been low-risk. Following the surgery, Ortiz will be placed under observation, per ESPN Deportes. On Wednesday, the former baseball player did take to social media to share that he was in the hospital receiving treatment. He reportedly posted a photo on his WhatsApp account that showed him in hospital clothing.

The former Boston Red Sox player's surgery took place exactly two years after the shooting occurred. On June 9, 2019, Ortiz was shot in a Dominican nightclub. He was shot in the back with the bullet exiting through his abdomen. The shot affected several of Ortiz's organs and caused him to undergo emergency surgery in both Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, and Boston. Ortiz reportedly had his gallbladder and part of his intestines removed as a result of the attack. Months after the shooting took place, Ortiz opened up about the scary ordeal to Univision and the Boston Globe.

"I don't have enemies. I don't know why anyone would want to do this to me," Ortiz told Univision. Not only did the former athlete open up about the shooting itself, but he also shared just how much the incident affected his personal well-being. He said, while getting emotional, "I almost died, man. I was in a coma. People were criticizing me as if I deserved to be killed." Ortiz stressed that he did not appreciate how some viewed the incident, as several individuals romanticized the situation.

"People need to understand, this isn't a movie where you get shot in the street and you're back two minutes later," he told the Boston Globe. "No, I got shot and almost died. I only have one life to live. I can't just go to the pharmacy and buy another one." Thirteen individuals have been arrested since the shooting. They are set to go on trial starting in early July.