David Ortiz has been given a few days off to clear his mind and rediscover his groove at the plate. His in-season vacation will be over on Tuesday when the Boston Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

In the three games without Ortiz, the Red Sox went 1-2 against the Seattle Mariners. Their lone win was a 5-3 victory on Saturday when Josh Beckett picked up his fourth win and Jonathan Papelbon picked up his tenth save.

Boston only managed 11 runs in those three games so taking Ortiz out of the lineup didn’t exactly open up the floodgates. When the native of the Dominican Republic returns, the Red Sox are hopeful that he can find the power that has made him one of the most feared hitters in the game over the last half decade. Currently, Ortiz is hitting .208 with no homers and 15 RBIs.

One interesting note is that manager Terry Francona didn’t guarantee Ortiz would return to his customary spot in the batting order. Ortiz usually bats third but that could apparently change when he returns against the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

On Monday, Boston has the day off.

Jorge Posada, the starting catcher for the New York Yankees, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. The move by the Yankees came on Tuesday after Posada suffered a right hamstring strain. The injury is expected to keep him out of the lineup for up to three weeks.

Jorge Posada (Image: Flickr)

This injury comes at a bad time for both Posada and the Yankees. The catcher was hitting the ball very well. He has five homers and 20 RBIs on the season with a batting average of .312. With the Yankees sporting a 13-13 record and sitting 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL West, New York can’t afford to be without Posada for too long.

The bad news for the Yankees is that it appears as if Posada’s body might be breaking down. He’s been catching for the Yankees for more than a decade and last season he missed more than 100 games due to a shoulder injury. At 37, Posada could be reaching the end of his rope.

With Posada out, Jose Molina will start at catcher for the Yankees.

Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals has set a high standard so far in the 2009 baseball season. Greinke won his fifth game in his fifth start on Wednesday, however his streak of innings without giving up an earned run was snapped. In seven innings, Greinke gave up five hits, two earned runs and two walks, while striking out eight batters.

His streak of 43 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run ended in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. With two outs in the first inning, Vernon Wells hit a single that scored Marco Scutaro from second base. In the third, Alex Rios hit into a double play but a second earned run was scored against Greinke.

Despite those two runs, the Royals were easily able to win the game by a final count of 11-3. Billy Butler hit two homers and finished the game 4-for-5 with four runs and four RBI.

With the win, the Royals are now 11-10 on the season. Even with the loss, the Blue Jays sport an impressive record of 15-8.

Kansas City Royals (Image: Flickr)

“Ice… cold… beer!”

It’s not just a pitch at Toronto Blue Jays games, it’s a tradition. For more that six years, Wayne McMahon would make his trademark pitch as he sold beer at baseball games at the Blue Jays’ Roger Centre.

McMahon was fired two weeks ago when he allegedly broke Aramark’s rules. Aramark claims that McMahon failed to check ID when he sold two beers to a 22 year old “mystery shopper.” While he did not break the law, he apparently broke Aramark’s policy. Aramark requires vendors to ask for ID for any patron who appears to be 30 years old or under. Additionally, Aramark prohibits vendors from selling two beers to the same person. McMahon denies that he sold two beers to any individual, claiming that he believed the beer was for a friend.

McMahon protested his firing, claiming that he has never had any disciplinary action taken before and has passed six other “mystery shopper” tests.

Aramark has said that their ruling is final.

The 62 year old McMahon’s reaction? “It’s a done deal. I’m so very, very disappointed, crushed.” His lawyer has indicated that a wrongful termination suit is in the works.

His fans’ reaction? No way is he leaving quietly. More than 15,000 people (15,552 as of this morning) have joined a Facebook group to “Bring Back Wayne” with a link to Aramark’s online contact form for those who want to tell Aramark what they think. More than 2,000 people have signed a formal petition asking that McMahon get his job back.

McMahon is so popular that he’s even appeared on MTV Live - every day last week.

Clearly, his firing has struck a chord with baseball fans. But is also raises interesting questions about drinking and responsibility. In an increasing litigious world, vendors and stadium owners are on the hook for sales to minors and sales to people who may become intoxicated at sports events. Is it a fair and proportionate response to terminate vendors who violate policies which are arguably in place to protect fans at the game from underage or drunk patrons? Or is it too much? I’d love to hear what you think.