Ortiz underwent a second operation after arriving in Boston



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The former Red Sox star, David Ortiz, suffered a second operation after arriving in Boston on Monday night and his condition is stable, said his wife, Tiffany, in a statement sent by the team.

"On behalf of myself and my family, I would like to thank John and Linda Henry, Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy and the Boston Red Sox for all that they do for David and our family, as well as the Dr. Larry Ronan and staff at Massachusetts General Hospital, "said Tiffany Ortiz. "Finally, I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love we have received during this extremely difficult time.We are asking for confidentiality when David is working towards recovery."

The second operation lasted until around 1am, according to Leo Lopez, David Ortiz's media assistant, who did not say what the doctors discovered. Ortiz remains in intensive care and will be subject to close supervision over the next 24 to 48 hours. Lopez said the number of visitors will be limited.

Ortiz was shot dead Sunday at a club in his country, in the Dominican Republic, where he was operated on urgently. He was stabilized and airlifted to Boston and taken by ambulance under police escort to the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Lopez told ESPN that Ortiz had been alert, had spoken to his family and "even a bright smile".

Ortiz was shot dead in a club in the east of Santo Domingo, a lively nightlife area full of nightclubs and bars. A team of surgeons, led by Dr. Abel Gonzalez, operated Ortiz for six hours and repaired the damage caused by the bullet to both intestines and his liver. They also had to remove Ortiz's gallbladder to work on the liver, although the gallbladder itself was not damaged.

Authorities said that 43-year-old Ortiz was ambushed by a man who took down a motorcycle and shot him in the back at almost empty speed around 20:50. Local time Sunday at Dial Bar and Lounge.

Police have two people in custody, the alleged gunman and the alleged motorcycle driver, told ESPN Deportes a source close to the investigation. But officially, the police acknowledged the arrest of a single suspect.

The driver of the bike was identified as 25-year-old Eddy Feliz Garcia, who was captured and beaten by a crowd at the bar, according to the director of the Dominican National Police, Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte.

Garcia suffered a skull contusion and trauma to the thorax, left knee, and right leg, according to the Dominican Republic's National Health Service. He was treated at the Dario Contreras Hospital in Santo Domingo before being returned to custody.

The police have not yet revealed the identity of the suspect.

Investigators are trying to determine if Ortiz was the target, said Bautista. Ortiz's father, Leo, told the local media that he absolutely did not know why anyone would have shot his son.

Ortiz, born in Santo Domingo, played in Major League Baseball for 20 seasons and is best known for his 14 years in Boston.

Ortiz has trained 10 star teams and won three world series with the Red Sox before retiring in 2016. He was named MVP of the World Series in 2013, when he helped the Red Sox to defeat the Cardinals St. Louis.

The Red Sox have removed the number 34 from Ortiz in 2017, and Boston has renamed a bridge and a stretch of road outside Fenway Park in his honor. He has a house in Weston, on the outskirts of Boston.

Information from Marly Rivera and the Associated Press from ESPN have been used in this report.

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