David Ortiz limps off the field after fouling a ball off his shin - MLB

David Ortiz had to be helped off the field in the ninth inning of last night’s loss to the Yankees when he fouled a ball off his right shin.

Ortiz underwent X-rays after the game at Fenway Park. They were negative. After the game Dave Dombrowski said Ortiz was doing much better and that he was walking around. He’s likely going to miss this evening’s game, but Dombrowski said it’s unlikely he’d miss more than that.

After a first half in which Ortiz put up MVP numbers, he’s been in a deep funk lately, hitting only .125 with only one extra base hit in the month of August. He hasn’t hit a homer since July 26. Now this.

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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.