Status of Ross, Ortiz in question for Saturday

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Cody Ross was still waiting for results of X-rays on his left foot after the Red Sox' 6-4 loss to the Phillies Friday night. The outfielder was forced to leave the game after fouling the ball off the foot in the eighth inning. 

Ross would stay in to face one more pitch against Philadelphia reliever Chad Qualls, swinging and missing at a third strike.

"I was going to finish the at-bat," he said. "The only way I'm coming out of that if I was bleeding and I can't see. I went down in the tunnel and tried to run. it wasn't happening. Had to come out."

Ross explained the ball hit on the top and side of his foot, below the shin guard he wears on the left leg.

"Generally I foul the ball off my shin, but this one got me perfect off the top of my foot," he said. "Hope for the best. Feels alright, so we'll see."

The availability of David Ortiz, who is scheduled to make a start at first base Saturday, is also in question, with the slugger dealing with the same intestinal turmoil many of his teammates have recently experienced. Ortiz told WEEI.com he was battling the illness throughout the day Friday, but was still able to make a pinch-hitting appearance with two outs in the eighth, the result of which was a ground out to first.

Another player who might not be available for Saturday's game is catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who suffered a laceration on his left ear after being hit with a deflected ball on Carlos Ruiz' hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning. Saltalamacchia was taken to the hospital to get stitches.

Some good news for the Red Sox is that Aaron Cook is scheduled to get the stitches out of his leg Saturday, and sprinted for the first time since going on the 15-day disabled list, Friday. Cook, who threw a three-inning simulated game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Thursday, said after Friday night's game he still hasn't heard what his next step will be.

For more Red Sox news, go to the team page at weei.com/redsox [1].