34 David Ortiz, DH

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz went 3 for 4 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs scored and a walk in a 12-6 win over the Twins.

Ortiz has a .362/.408/.681 line with seven home runs and 29 RBI in only 103 plate appearances. He's 6 for 8 in his last two games and has a six-game hitting streak.

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is blaming a sore oblique muscle for his batting slump, ESPN reports. 

"I've been dealing with a sore left side," Ortiz said. "For that reason, I was pulling the ball rather than hitting it the opposite way. I was hurt in one of the first games when we returned home due to the cold, but I'm feeling better and soon will start hitting again."

Ortiz had just one hit in his last 20 at-bats entering Tuesday, but pulled an inside fastball against Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore for a three-run homer in the first inning of Tuesday's game. 

Red Sox DH David Ortiz was held out of the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale vs. Toronto because manager John Farrell wanted to provide him two straight days off heading into Tuesday's game against the Rays, which opens a nine-game road trip. 

Ortiz is batting .059 (1 for 17) in his last four games, but Farrell said it doesn't have anything to do with the column earlier this week suggesting Ortiz's fast start has been aided by performance-enhancing drugs, according to The Boston Herald.

"He gets off to a great start, goes into a little bit of a three or four game thing where he might be pulling off the ball more than he did when he first rejoined us," Farrell said. "There's nothing abnormal here. We'd love to think that he's going to hit .500 for the whole year, but that's probably going to tail off at some point."

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has gone 0 for 16 with a walk over his last 17 plate appearances, WEEI.com reported Saturday.

The skid coincides with a Boston Globe story about Ortiz being asked if he was using performance-enhancing drugs.

“I can’t say the story has affected him in the result of what the last three days have been,” manager John Farrell said.

For just the second time this season, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz failed to reach base in back-to-back games. Ortiz finished 0 for 5 Thursday night against the Twins.

He has been held without a hit in his last 10 at-bats since having his 27-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday. Ortiz has gone 0 for 5 (or worse) in back-to-back game for just the third time in his career and the first time since 2004.

Ortiz is hitting .353/.384/.662 with four homers and 17 RBI through his first 68 at-bats.