Ortiz expected to make full recovery, 'flashed that smile' in hospital

Doctors in Boston anticipate that Red Sox icon David Ortiz will make a full recovery after being shot in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, his spokesman, Leo Lopez, told ESPN's Marly Rivera on Tuesday.

Ortiz was transported to Boston on Monday and underwent exploratory surgery late in the evening.

"David arrived at Massachusetts General Hospital last night and underwent a successful second surgery," his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, said in a statement released through the Red Sox. "He is stable, awake, and resting comfortably this morning in the ICU where he is expected to remain for the next several days.

"On behalf of me and my family, I want to thank (owners) John and Linda Henry, Tom Werner, (president) Sam Kennedy, and the Boston Red Sox for all that they are doing for David and our family, as well as Dr. Larry Ronan and the amazing staff at Massachusetts General Hospital. Lastly, I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love that we have received during this incredibly difficult time.

"We ask for privacy as David works toward recovery."

Meanwhile, Lopez, a close friend of Ortiz's who acts as both a spokesperson and personal media assistant, told Rivera that the 43-year-old "even flashed that smile" while in hospital.

Ortiz has received an outpouring of support - both in Boston and across the sporting world - since the shooting. The Red Sox arranged to fly him to Boston following an initial surgery in the Dominican Republic to repair damage to his organs.

The former player was also celebrated at Fenway Park with a moment of reflection before Monday's game.

"Back home they talk about superheroes without capes. He is a superhero without a cape," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday. "That's the way we see it. He'll be OK."

While Ortiz is recovering in Boston, authorities in the Dominican Republic are continuing to probe the shooting. The country's attorney general told Ortiz on Monday that the investigation had "advanced considerably," according to Martin Finucane of the Boston Globe, who cited a Spanish report.

One suspect, 25-year-old Eddy Feliz Garcia, entered police custody after a crowd beat and injured him following the shooting. Garcia was scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday, the Dominican attorney general's office told Anaridis Rodriguez of WBZ-TV Boston. He will be charged with being an accomplice to attempted murder, Maria Cramer of the Boston Globe reports. Ramon D. Carmona - a Dominican television producer and friend of Ortiz - said a second suspect has also been apprehended, according to Cramer.