A spokesman for the Dominican national police told CNN the former Red Sox star was shot in the back by "by a motorcyclist."

Red Sox legend David Ortiz is sitting up, taking steps after being shot


David Ortiz is stable and expected to make a "full recovery" after being shot in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday, ESPN reported.

Ortiz's wife, Tiffany, gave an update Wednesday about the Red Sox legend, saying he was able to sit up and has taken a few steps.

"His condition is guarded and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress toward recovery," she said in a statement given by the Red Sox.

Ortiz's friend and media assistant Leo López told ESPN Tuesday that Ortiz underwent "exploratory" surgery Monday night, marking his second surgery since the shooting.

López added that Ortiz is in stable condition after the surgery, is alert and "even flashed that smile." 

Tiffany also confirmed the "successful" second surgery, saying that he was awake, but will be expected to remain in ICU for a few days.

Ortiz’s father, Leo, told reporters after the incident that the former Red Sox star underwent surgery. According to reports from ESPN, Ortiz suffered damage to his liver and gall bladder, while parts of his colon were removed. 

Early reports of the shooting brought conflicting information about Ortiz's condition. Felix Durán Mejia, a spokesman for the national police, confirmed to CNN Ortiz had been shot in the back "by a motorcyclist who approached Ortiz directly."

"They called me to tell me that David is injured and that they took him to a medical center," Ortiz's father told ESPN.

The local chief of police told Dionisio Soldevila, a reporter from the Dominican Republic, that Ortiz was in stable condition. Ortiz's brother told Soldevila the former player was doing fine.

Police have detained multiple people in connection with the shooting, according to CNN. 

The Red Sox released the following statement:

Ortiz, who retired in 2016, was born in Santo Domingo, where the incident took place. The 10-time All-Star won three World Series and spent fourteen of his 20 MLB seasons with Boston.