David Ortiz Thanks Doctors, Nurses After Recovery from Being Shot: 'Some of the Best Teammates'

Days after being released from Massachusetts General Hospital, David Ortiz is thanking the team of doctors, nurses, and caregivers who helped him recover after he was shot at a nightclub in his native Dominican Republic.

In a statement obtained by the Boston Globe on Monday, the Boston Red Sox star shared his gratitude for “Dr. Jose Abel Gonzalez and the medical team at the Center for Advanced Medicine in Santo Domingo, Dr. Larry Ronan and Dr. David King as well as all the doctors, nurses, and caregivers at Mass General.”

“They are some of the best teammates I have ever had,” Ortiz, 43, said in the statement.

Ortiz also thanked fans for “the prayers and good wishes from the Dominican Republic and Red Sox Nation.”

According to the statement, the athlete will spend the next few weeks focusing on his recovery. “I am feeling good, but know I need to do my rehab just like I did when I was recovering from injuries playing baseball,” he shared.

Ortiz asked for privacy during his recovery time, but ended his statement by saying, “Big Papi will be back soon.”

David Ortiz | Frank Micelotta/Shutterstock
David Ortiz | Frank Micelotta/Shutterstock

RELATED: Boston Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Shot and Wounded in the Dominican Republic: Reports

On Monday, Ortiz also shared his first social media post since the shooting.

“Being at home and look at my family celebrating that Im [sic] here safe is priceless,” he captioned three photos of food — including steak, fish and pasta — on Instagram. “Thank for all the prayers 🙏🏽 Too bad I can’t crush food yet 😑!!!!”

Ortiz was released from the hospital on Friday, and will continue rehabilitation from home, with full-time nurses and his personal physician, ESPN reported.

“He will continue to undergo all the treatment and rehabilitation necessary to recuperate from his recent procedures,” a family source told the outlet.

The former MLB All-Star has undergone three surgeries in the past two months after he was shot in the back at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic on June 9. The bullet, which went straight through his stomach, caused damage to his intestines and liver.

RELATED: David Ortiz Released from Boston Hospital Nearly 7 Weeks After Shooting in Dominican Republic

A part of his intestines was removed following a six-hour surgery in a clinic in Santo Domingo, according to the New York Times. Then, Ortiz underwent a second surgery at Massachusetts General.

On July 11, he had a third operation due to unspecified complications and was recovering well, according to his wife Tiffany’s statement at the time.

David Ortiz | Rob Carr/Getty Images
David Ortiz | Rob Carr/Getty Images

Although it was initially believed that Ortiz had been shot during a burglary attempt, prosecutors now believe he was not the intended target of the shooting.

Last month, Dominican Republic police said that Ortiz’s friend, Sixto David Fernandez, who had been dressed similarly to the baseball star at the time of the shooting, was the actual target, ABC News reported.

According to the outlet, at least 14 people have been charged in connection with the shooting.