BOSTON -- A day after returning to the Red Sox lineup, David Ortiz is once again out of it.
Ortiz will miss Saturday night's game against the Royals with some soreness in his achilles, following his 2-for-4, 2-RBI night on Friday.
"He's a little sore today," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine before Saturday's game. "He's not in the lineup. And we're going to meet and evaluate his situation again.
"It bothered him last night. He wasn't as pain-free as he was hoping."
Ortiz spent nearly six weeks on the DL with an achilles strain, and even though the Red Sox were planning on playing him almost every other day upon his return, they realize that nobody involved wants to jeopardize his long-term health.
"I think what would be best for David, if he's healthy, to make sure that everyone knows that he's healthy for the rest of the season," said Valentine. "So, it wouldn't be me shutting him down. If in fact that's what the medical staff thought was best for him this year and for his career, then that might have to happen."
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said on Saturday that he's "not really" concerned about Ortiz, with regards to the big picture.
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"He's still got some soreness," said Cherington. "We're not concerned that this is something that's going to inhibit him in any significant way, moving forward. We want to be careful and do the right thing for him, because he's such an important player, and we want him to be a part of what we're doing. So, we'll continue to work with him and be cautious, and get him out there whenever he's ready and available."