David Ortiz shooting shakes Yankees pitcher: 'It's the reason why my mom doesn't want me to go back'

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Red Sox legend David Ortiz recovering from surgery after he was ambushed, shot in Santo Domingo

'Big Papi' David Ortiz was at the Dial Bar and Lounge when a gunman approached from behind and shot him in the back; Phil Keating reports.

A shooting in the Dominican Republic that left former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz wounded on Sunday resonated with many players across baseball and left a permanent mark on one pitcher.

New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton, whose mother is from the Dominican Republic and still has family there, told the New York Post on Monday the shooting is one of the reasons why she hasn’t been there “in an extremely long time.”

DAVID ORTIZ ARRIVES TO BOSTON IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER SHOOTING

“It’s the reason why my mom doesn’t want me to go back,” Britton told the newspaper. “Most of my family is in Santo Domingo. Unfortunately, it’s not the safest place. I haven’t been back in an extremely long time.”

Ortiz appeared to be the target of a shooting at a Santo Domingo bar. He was shot at close range in the torso and doctors were forced to remove his gallbladder and part of his intestine.

New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton commented on the David Oritz shooting. (Fred Thornhill/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ortiz arrived in Boston on Monday night at around 10:30 p.m. Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told WCVB-TV that doctors told the team Ortiz’s condition is still “serious.”

Ortiz brought the Red Sox to three World Series championships, was a 10-time All-Star and hit 541 home runs during his career.

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He was hailed as a hero in Boston for rallying the city after the Boston Marathon bombing. He retired after his 2016 season and lives part of the year in the Dominican Republican, where he is known to frequent the nightlife scene.

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.