Johnny Damon is putting his issues with the Red Sox aside ... and praising the hell out of the team for the way it's handled the David Ortiz situation, saying the Sox "did such a great job."
Of course, Damon's relationship with Boston's MLB team has been mostly nonexistent since his messy departure from Fenway back in 2005.
Damon and team owner John Henry had a very public feud ... and Johnny has even openly rooted for the Yankees when the two rivals have squared off over the past few years.
But, Damon went on "TMZ Live" on Tuesday and put all his beef with the Sox behind him ... thanking the team for doing "the right thing" and taking care of Big Papi after he was shot in the D.R. on Sunday.
"The Red Sox did such a great job at going down to the Dominican and bringing him back to some of the great hospitals and doctors we have up in Boston," Damon says.
"Thank you, Red Sox, for doing the right thing and getting him up in Boston and taking care of him."
Ortiz landed in Massachusetts on Monday night ... and after a second surgery to repair the damage that a bullet caused -- his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, says he's now "resting comfortably."
Johnny says it wouldn't surprise him to see Big Papi back near the baseball diamond as early as this fall ... saying, "I'm sure it's going to be during the playoffs."