ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It didn't take long for Red Sox slugger David Ortiz to be asked the question everyone wanted answered:

Are you going to have surgery on your wrist during the offseason?

"No," he said. "I'm just going to try to get my hand stronger, chill out for a minute and come back ready to go like I know how next year."

Ortiz missed 45 games in midseason with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist.

Ortiz went 0 for 3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last night, and finished the series with a .154 average.

"I just didn't hit," he said. "They are not going to put the ball on a tee for me. [Rays starter Matt Garza] was filthy tonight. He was making his pitches, so what can you do? It wasn't our year. We had a lot of injuries and a lot of different things this year. It's been a tough year and we tried to fight back. It's not what we expect, but we played better than what we did.

"You have to give them credit," added Ortiz. "They pitched well and they played good defense. They got the big hits. That's how it goes, whoever plays the best is the one who wins. We just need to come back next year stronger and we'll try to stay away from injuries."

He finished the regular season with a .264 average, including 23 homers and 89 RBI.