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Too many strikeouts. Too many 0-fers. Too many long walks back to the dugout. The Red Sox have been patient with DH David Ortiz, but they need more production from his spot in the lineup.

It's time. David Ortiz will return to the Boston Red Sox lineup tonight after sitting out Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins.

Keeping Ortiz on the bench for the first game in the Metrodome was an easy decision for Manager Terry Francona. Twins starter Francisco Liriano had kept left-handed hitters to a .213 batting average during his career.

Of course, there were other reasons to keep Big Papi out of the lineup. Like his .195 batting average, his one home run and his slugging percentage of .299. Or the fact he had gone 1 for 16 in his previous four games, striking out seven times.

The home run Ortiz hit Wednesday night, his first of the year, bought him some time. His anemic offensive numbers since that homer mean the time for Francona to make a move is now. The question is, what is the right move?

"We'll get the lefties back in there (today), including David," Francona said before Monday's game.

Fair enough, but Ortiz simply can't return to the third spot in the lineup. His manager has been as patient as humanly possible, but 45 games is no longer a small sample.

Over the weekend, New York Mets pitchers pounded Ortiz with fastballs, daring him to show he could catch up to them. He couldn't.

The remarkable thing through all of this is that the Red Sox have been able to win while getting virtually no production out of their designated hitter.

The Red Sox had the fourth-best batting average in baseball going into Monday's game and had wrapped up a homestand with a 16-hit game in Sunday's win over the Mets. All but one batter in the Boston lineup had a hit: David Ortiz . He went 0 for 5 and struck out twice.

Where do the Red Sox go from here? Look for Mike Lowell to get a few more DH opportunities, especially against left-handed pitchers. That will give Lowell a much-needed break, considering he hasn't had a day off this season. He actually has played all but one game this season, sitting out the second game of the doubleheader on April 22.

You'll also hear more rumors about the Red Sox looking to pick up a hitter. The Nick Johnson (Nationals) rumors were shot down, but he would be the type of player who could be a designated hitter and play first when Lowell is the DH, moving Kevin Youkilis to third.

Victor Martinez (Indians) was another name thrown around by the media last week, but it's hard to imagine Boston paying the ransom it would take to land a catcher hitting .375.

This doesn't mean the Red Sox are giving up on Ortiz. It means they are going to give him a chance to turn things around while batting lower in the order and perhaps sitting out more frequently.

The Red Sox had given him every opportunity to avoid this moment, but they couldn't wait any longer. With nine games remaining on their trip, a new phase in the Big Papi's career begins tonight.

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in the Press Herald on Tuesdays.