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"He is loved throughout our nation and beyond, yet to us, he is our own adopted son."

The Red Sox kicked off their game Monday with a touching moment for David Ortiz, with the PA announcer asking all 34,422 fans in attendance to stay quiet for a moment of silence for "Big Papi."

As we previously reported ... Ortiz nearly lost his life in a shooting in the Dominican Republic on Sunday night -- and it didn't take long for his MLB city to send up prayers.

"All of us were shocked by last night's news about David Ortiz," the Red Sox PA announcer said before their game against the Rangers ... "And, our community has felt a palpable concern ever since."

"Won't you please join us as we offer a moment of reflection, thought and prayer for a complete healing and a full recovery for our beloved 'Big Papi.'"

The fans at Fenway weren't the only ones tore up over the Papi situation ... Ortiz's ex-teammate and friend, Pedro Martinez, broke down during an appearance on MLB Network.

Ortiz -- who underwent hours of surgery late Sunday night into Monday morning -- is expected to make a full recovery.

David Ortiz underwent a SECOND surgery Monday night in Boston to repair injuries he suffered after being shot in the back on Sunday ... his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, announced.

But, she adds Big Papi is now doing fine and is "resting comfortably."

The MLB legend was nearly killed after a man opened fire on his back while he was outside of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic over the weekend.

Ortiz was rushed to the hospital ... and doctors say they had to remove his gallbladder in an attempt to repair damage to his liver and both of his small and large intestines.

But, Ortiz made it out of the surgery just fine ... and afterward, he was flown back to Boston for further evaluation.

While Ortiz's wife says David needed an additional procedure, she says her hubby is "stable, awake and resting comfortably this morning in the ICU where he is expected to remain for the next several days."

6/10 8:00 PM PT -- Ortiz is back in Boston and receiving treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital ... this after taking a medical air ambulance back to the States.

A police escort led Ortiz's ambulance to the hospital.

6/10 3:05 PM PT -- Officials in the Dominican Republic say they believe the man they have in custody was NOT the shooter, but rather the getaway driver.

The man accused of shooting Ortiz -- whose identity is still a mystery -- is still on the lam, according to officials.

6/10 2:37 PM PT -- David Ortiz has left the hospital in Santo Domingo and is en route to the airport to fly to Boston.

The flight, organized by the Boston Red Sox, is approximately 4 hours and doctors in the D.R. and in Boston have agreed that Ortiz is stable enough to make the journey.

6/10 1:08 PM PT -- David Ortiz's father, Leo Ortiz, is speaking with reporters in the D.R. -- saying he wants to thank the doctors for "saving my son's life."

Leo said David WILL be transported to Boston -- and explained that David's personal doctors and his wife live in Massachusetts.

David's doctor said the surgery was successful -- noting the bullet struck the liver, the small and large intestines. He says Ortiz's gall bladder was removed to make space to treat the affected organs.

6/10 12:36 PM PT -- Boston Red Sox management just addressed the media and said Ortiz's condition is still serious following Sunday night's shooting but he's stable enough to travel back to the United States.

In fact, the Red Sox have organized for a medical air ambulance to transport Ortiz from Santo Domingo to Boston ... and the goal is to fly him to the U.S. as early as Monday night.

As we previously reported, Ortiz was shot Sunday evening while sitting outside at a club in the Dominican Republic. The incident was captured on surveillance video.

The Red Sox have sent representatives to the Dominican Republic to help and team doctors are aiding in Ortiz's medical care.

Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy told the media, "Our hope is that David will arrive in Boston sometime later tonight. Right now, the clubs exclusive focus is on David's health and well being."

"Please know that we are doing everything we can to support David and his family during this very difficult period."

Kennedy says he's been in touch with David's wife, Tiffany, who expressed gratitude for all the club is doing to help.

Kennedy says it's been an emotional time for him because he knows Ortiz so well -- and explained, "I love David Ortiz. We all love David Ortiz. Telling my kids what happened was really difficult."

6/10 10:38 AM PT -- The Boston Red Sox have sent a jet to the Dominican Republic. They are hoping to fly Ortiz back to the United States as soon as possible to receive medical care.

Ortiz's doctor in the D.R. has told ESPN the MLB legend is stable enough to fly.

6/10 9:07 AM PT -- Barack Obama has also sent a message to Ortiz ... saying, "Six years ago, David Ortiz's spirit and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing. Today, I want to join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery of his own. Get well soon, Papi."

6/10 8:50 AM PT -- Tom Brady just sent a message to Ortiz ... saying, "Papi defines Boston Strong... get well soon my friend!!!"

6/10 7:58 AM PT -- Cops say there are TWO suspects in the shooting, both young men ... who rolled up to the scene on the same motorcycle.

Cops say after the shooting, both men tried to get back on the bike and drive off ... but the bike fell down so they tried to make a run for it.

The first suspect, Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia, was subdued by people at the scene.

The second suspect did escape on foot. Cops have not released the name of the 2nd suspect. They are currently searching for him.

6/10 7:13 AM PT -- TMZ Sports talked to a spokesperson for the Dominican National Police who told us the suspect is in custody and awaiting charges.

The police also confirmed videos showing a man getting pummeled in the street following the shooting IS, IN FACT, THE SUSPECT.

While the rest of the Toronto crowd was CHEERING Kevin Durant's horrible Achilles injury during Game 5 of the NBA Finals ... Drake was actually really upset -- and even tried to console the NBA star.

KD's right calf popped midway through the 2nd quarter as the Golden State Warriors took on the Toronto Raptors ... and it was pretty obvious the injury was serious.

Raptors fans cheered as if the injury was a GOOD thing (gross) -- but you can see Drake was obviously devastated for his friend.

As Durant hobbled past the rapper to get to the locker room, Drake reached out and grabbed KD's shoulder while offering up some words.

You can see Drake mouth the word "F*ck" as he realizes Durant's injury is really bad.

After the game, it was reported KD will miss the rest of the Finals because of the injury -- the real question is how much of next season will he miss?

Durant posted a statement on the situation saying, "Dub nation gonna be loud as f*ck for game 6."

Terrifying moment at a major polo tournament in Argentina -- when a player fell off his horse and was hurt so badly, he needed to be airlifted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

The player is Federico Rooney -- who was playing for team Marcos Juarez in the famous Flag Open on Sunday when disaster struck.

Both Rooney and his horse crashed to the ground -- and Rooney didn't get up.

Medical personnel raced onto the field to treat Rooney -- and ultimately loaded him onto a helicopter to be transported to a nearby hospital.

Local reports say Rooney suffered a skull fracture and blood clots -- and he was placed into a medically induced coma.

Despite the horrible injuries, he's reportedly stable and expected to recover.

Still, the injury left a black cloud over the tournament -- and the remaining teams decided to call the rest of the event off in light of Rooney's injuries.

We know what you're thinking ... we've been trying to find out if the horse is okay too -- but so far, it's unclear.

Attempts to reach event organizers have been unsuccessful so far.

White Sox phenom Eloy Jimenez says he's downright afraid to return to the Dominican Republic after David Ortiz's shooting Sunday ... telling reporters, "Now, you cannot trust nobody there."

Eloy -- Chicago's star who grew up in the D.R. -- told a group of reporters at his locker Tuesday he couldn't believe it when he heard Big Papi was shot in the back in his home country.

In fact, Eloy says he's legitimately worried to return home now, saying, "When you see one of the best players -- one of the best Dominicans we had -- get shot like that, it's scary for everybody right now."

22-year-old Jimenez says he's grateful Ortiz survived the shooting ... and says the Red Sox legend has done a TON for kids growing up in the D.R.

"He does a lot for Dominicans," Eloy says ... "He represents a lot. And, for me, it's so sad."

A helicopter came crashing down on the roof of a building in Midtown Manhattan ... sparking a fire, according to officials.

According to the New York Fire Department ... the chopper made a hard landing Monday afternoon on the rooftop of a high rise, and a two-alarm fire broke out. One person, reportedly the pilot, died.

The building is on 7th avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets in the heart of Midtown ... and it's a wild scene outside, with tons of fire trucks, police and first responders. The building and several neighboring properties are being evacuated.

Witnesses say they heard a loud rumble in the area of the crash ... and in photos and videos from the scene, you see black smoke billowing into the sky.

It's unclear what led to the fiery helicopter crash, and some people are freaking out about a possible terrorist attack, though there's no official word.

Haven't cried yet today? Here's something that'll change that ...

Gale Sayers -- who's battling dementia and is struggling daily to remember who he is -- showed up to the Bears100 celebration on Friday ... and got an ovation from the crowd that brought a tear to his eye.

The 76-year-old legend is struggling in his fight with dementia ... his wife, Ardie Sayers, says the former RB is having hard time speaking and moving.

In fact, she tells The Athletic he can't even sign autographs anymore because he can't write ... saying, "It's kind of sad because he used to love to write his name."

But, Ardie took Gale to the Bears100 celebration over the weekend in an effort to help "jog his memory," and his first appearance in front of the crowd was tear-jerking.

Sayers was pushed onto the stage in a wheelchair -- and the ovation was so loud ... it appeared Gale started crying.

The moment was awesome ... but when Sayers' ex-teammate and good buddy, Dick Butkus, spoke about Gale afterward, he called the whole situation "a tough thing."

“I call and check on him quite frequently," Butkus told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Sad deal. You’ve just got to be thankful for what you’ve got. I’ve got my problems with neuropathy and my balance. But, I’ve got no pain, and I still know who I am. I’m happy about that.”

Gale was one of the greatest NFL players ever ... famously scoring 22 touchdowns in his rookie season in 1965.

Guests who went to Six Flags in Southern California on Sunday were met with flames and smoke as a wildfire erupted right next door ... and they were temporarily trapped.

The fire, which officials have dubbed the Sky Fire, broke out near Six Flags Magic Mountain and the adjacent water park, Hurricane Harbor, at around noon down in Santa Clarita ... literally a stone's throw away from the theme park and all the guests inside.

As the flames grew, a lot of patrons captured the panicked scene from the ground ... and even from still-operating rollercoasters up in the air. It's pretty insane to see.

One guest filmed the smoke billowing while ascending the park's biggest rollercoaster, Goliath, and the moment appeared ominous to say the least.

According to authorities, the fire has burned up to 50 acres and is 20 percent contained as of about 3 PM PT. At first, guests were being evacuated ... but were eventually told to bunker down in the park as all the exit roads nearby were closed for the time being.

Shortly afterward, the exits were reopened and people started to flee en masse. Six Flags says that the two parks are going to be closed for the remainder of Sunday, but surprisingly ... they're saying their doors will be open again Monday.

Keanu Reeves' badassery has now seeped into the cyber world -- 'cause he's playing a character in the upcoming 'Cyberpunk' installment that looks EXACTLY like him.

The iconic action-hero actor made a surprise appearance Sunday in L.A. at Microsoft's E3 2019 presentation -- where he was featured in a trailer for "Cyberpunk 2077," which drops in April 2020. It's unclear what character he's playing exactly ... but what is clear is that KR is IN the game, right down to his long hair and dreamy, intense stare.

Keanu came out afterward to talk about the game, and in the middle of him saying the experience would breathtaking ... someone took the words right out of his mouth and flipped it on him. Check out how he handled the would-be heckler -- ya gotta love this guy.

It's been a big year for Keanu -- not only does he have his third 'John Wick' movie under his belt, but he also appeared in the new Netflix rom-com, "Always Be My Maybe" ... and he's gonna be in 'Bill & Ted' and 'Toy Story' sequels as well soon enough here. And, of course, now this.

The New York Yankees contract that paid Mickey Mantle a shockingly low amount of money back in 1957 can be all yours ... if you've got a big pile of cash to buy it!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the deal that Mantle himself signed back in '57 is hitting the SCP Auctions block -- and is expected to fetch over $40,000.

It's interesting ... because Mantle -- who had just hit for the Triple Crown in 1956 with 52 home runs, 130 RBI and a .353 batting average (it was one of the greatest offensive seasons ever) -- was only scheduled to make $60k.

If that seems staggeringly low ... it's 'cause it is -- for a similar season in 2014, Giancarlo Stanton inked a 13-year, $325 MILLION deal ($25 mil a year)!!!

Of course, the Yanks got much more than they bargained for after Mantle signed on the dotted line ... he went on to win the MVP for a second consecutive season in 1957.

As for the contract itself, it's an awesome piece of history ... it's got The Mick's signature AND Hall of Famer Lee MacPhail's on it as well.

Bidding closes in two weeks ... good luck!!!

Linda Fairstein's world continues to crumble ... her book publisher has just kicked her to the curb as the fallout continues, following her portrayal in Netflix's miniseries, "When They See Us."

The Central Park 5 prosecutor will no longer have a relationship with Dutton, which confirmed it had "terminated its relationship" with the best-selling crime novelist. The move comes on the heels of an online push to boycott her publishers and distributors ... after the Netflix series dramatized her role that led to the wrongful conviction of 5 teens for the 1989 rape and beating of a female jogger.

Earlier this week, TMZ reached out to multiple people at both Penguin Random House and its subsidiary, Dutton -- the two publishing companies that peddled her 14 novels -- but they went radio silent. As did Linda's literary agency, ICM Partners. Not a peep.

Fairstein's latest book with Dutton had been "Blood Oath" back in March. Dutton dropping Fairstein's just the latest in a string of moves that led to Fairstein resigning from at least 2 nonprofits as well as from Vassar College.

Glamour Magazine also said it was a mistake to give her the Woman of the Year Award in '93 ... adding they wouldn't do it again. The backlash also included #CancelLindaFairstein all over social media.

After weeks of issuing "no comment" statements regarding Tyreek Hill's criminal child abuse investigation ... prosecutors are now saying there is NO ongoing probe into the Chiefs star.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced back on April 24 that after weeks of investigating child abuse accusations, he could not charge Hill or his fiance, Crystal Espinal, with a crime.

Then, after disturbing audio -- which appeared to show Hill and his fiance arguing over their son's injuries -- leaked a day later ... KCTV (which had been leading the Hill coverage) said the DA had re-opened its investigation.

Several attempts to confirm those reports with Howe and his office were met with, "We have no comment at this time," responses.

But now, Howe appears to be saying prosecutors NEVER reopened the probe, telling The Kansas City Star, "It is not an active investigation,” and adding that comments he made at his April 24 news conference "still hold true."

It's big news for Hill -- as the Kansas City Chiefs only decided to suspend Tyreek after reports said the criminal investigation had been reopened after the audio files leaked.

In fact, head coach Andy Reid himself appeared to be under the impression the investigation was reopened, telling that to reporters at a pre-draft press conference in April.

But, it appears that was never the case, with Hill's attorney, Trey Pettlon, telling the K.C. Star, "It’s my understanding the criminal investigation has been closed for quite some time now."

"And obviously there’s been some misinformation about that, but it is closed.”

As for Hill's future, he still has an active case ongoing with the Kansas Department for Children and Families ... and Roger Goodell says he is still waiting to interview the WR over the allegations.

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a clean getaway when his bodyguard got into a showdown -- that involved a taser -- with an alleged bicycle thief outside of Gold's Gym.

The bizarre confrontation went down Friday in Venice, CA, just as Arnold was wrapping up his morning pump.

We're told he was inside the gym when a man with a bandana on his face came up on the rack outside and tried to steal Arnold's gold bike. The Governator had his own private security parked nearby in an SUV keeping an eye on things, and they sprung into action.

One of Arnold's guards busted the potential thief by pulling a Taser on his ass. While they stood a few feet apart, Schwarzenegger swooped in, grabbed his wheels and took off.

The Dunking Deutschman is goin' American ... 'cause Dirk Nowitzki has officially started the process to become a U.S. citizen!!!

The recently retired 40-year-old Dallas Mavericks superstar and his Swedish wife, Jessica Olsson, are working on getting their green cards together ... which is the first step in a VERY long process to becoming a citizen.

"So once we accomplish that, then you have to be a green-card holder for, I think, over five years before you can even think about doing that [becoming a U.S. citizen]," Dirk told the Dallas Morning News.

"So we're going to do that and see how it goes. But obviously our [three] kids were born here and they all have U.S. passports and the wifey and I have been on a visa for the last few years. So hopefully that's going to be accomplished soon."

According to the Dept. of Homeland Security, Dirk's right ... he can apply for full citizenship 5 years to the day of obtaining his green card.

Dirk has previously said he won't give up his German citizenship -- the goal is to be a dual-citizen.

"But we're living here [in Dallas]," Nowitzki told DMN ... "This is where life is. We're going to continue to travel a lot in the summers, but once the school year starts, my oldest [daughter Malaika] is going into first grade next year."

Dirk and his wife won't be able to vote or hold a U.S. passport until they become official citizens in 5 years -- but they're not worried.

Until then, Nowitzki will fill his days eating ice cream and chilling with his family.

Deadpool, Batman, Spider-Man and Jesus all walk onto a plane ...

No, this ain't the start of the next 'Avengers' movie ... it's the Pittsburgh Pirates' epic costume party on Thursday!!!

The Buccos beat the snot out of the Braves in Pittsburgh in the morning ... and to celebrate -- they threw on their best outfits and hit the airport for their road trip to Milwaukee.

The guys really went all out ... MVP candidate Josh Bell made a hell of a Batman, shortstop Cole Tucker really loved his Frozone costume -- and pitcher Richard Rodriguez dressed up as Jesus.

A bunch of the starting pitchers -- including ace Chris Archer -- went with Ninja Turtles ... and catcher Elias Diaz was a stunning plus-sized Power Ranger.

The winner of the day (besides the Pirates, who are now just 4 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central) ... outfielder Gregory Polanco -- who had an Avatar costume complete with a tail!!!!