Carl Crawford Will Have Tommy John Surgery

Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford will undergo Tommy John surgery on his injured left elbow Thursday.

There was previously some question as to when Crawford would have the surgery, but he reportedly wanted to undergo the surgery immediately to be ready for the start of next season, while the Red Sox wanted to delay surgery until after the season. The two sides were scheduled to meet Monday to make a final decision. Below is the official statement from the team following that meeting.

Carl Crawford has a chronic left elbow ulnar collateral ligament tear. While he has been following a conservative treatment protocol and playing with this injury, his symptoms are getting worse. After consultation with the Boston Red Sox medical staff and with Dr. James Andrews, the decision has been made to proceed with a left elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery). The surgery will be performed by Dr. Andrews on Thursday, August 23. We expect Carl to make a full recovery.

Crawford, who has played in just 31 games this season, was hitting .282 with three home runs and 19 RBI in his second season with the Red Sox.

For more on the Red Sox, check out Over The Monster and SBN Boston.

Carl Crawford To Request Tommy John Surgery, According To Report

Carl Crawford is reportedly planning to ask the Red Sox to allow him to get Tommy John surgery.

Carl Crawford Returns To Red Sox Lineup

Carl Crawford missed the first half with a myriad of problems, including elbow, wrist, and groin issues. The elbow is the most serious, as Crawford will likely need Tommy John surgery after the season. He indicated that the elbow could "pop" at any time, which can't be an especially reassuring feeling.

But Crawford is coming back on Monday, joining a cavalcade of familiar faces, like Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis in a Fenway return.

"I guess the only thing we'll be lacking," Cody Ross said, "is Elvis showing up. Which is highly possible."

SOURCE: RED SOX TRADE FOR ELVIS ANDRUS "HIGHLY POSSIBLE."

The last time we saw Carl Crawford on the field for the Boston Red Sox, he was missing a catch by an inch, which turned out to be one of the most direct reasons for the Red Sox missing the playoffs. And it's not like Crawford had a great season before that -- last year was one of the most miserable of his career, and it still ended ignominiously.

But it's the time of renewal. Players who had bad first halves can pretend there's some magic in the arbitrary midpoint in the season, and so can players who didn't have a first half.

Carl Crawford Might Need Tommy John Surgery

Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford hasn’t stepped on a major-league field since his misplay of that sinking line drive in Baltimore last September helped cost his team a chance at a wild-card spot.

He’s been battling various injuries, including a strained groin during his current rehab assignment ... and now says he might need Tommy John surgery on the elbow problem that’s kept him out all year. Maureen Mullen:

"Probably at some point, because it’s one of those deals. It is what it is," Crawford said. "So probably at some point it’s going to go out on me."

Asked if he had thought about having surgery before the elbow goes out, Crawford replied:

"Thought about it but at this point if I can play, I think they want me out on the field. So I’m just trying to do everything I can to get back on the field."

Recovery time for a position player from TJ surgery is shorter than for a pitcher, but the cautionary tale for Crawford is Xavier Nady, who had TJ surgery in 2009 after a 25-homer, 97-RBI season with the Pirates in 2008. Nady hasn’t been anywhere close to the same player since.

For more on the Red Sox, please visit Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston.

Carl Crawford's Rehab Delayed By Strained Groin

Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford has yet to step on the field at Fenway Park this season after suffering an ulnar collateral ligament strain, but he was expected to come back soon after completing 15 of the allowable 20 days of minor league rehabilitation. His return will be delayed even longer after he suffered a strained groin running out a triple in the minor leagues, the team announced Saturday.

The Red Sox decided to reset his rehab clock, which means he won't be able to appear in a game for five days, then will have another 20 to try to get back to the majors, according to MLB.com. What might be most concerning for Sox fans is Crawford's elbow still isn't completely healed.

"It's not 100 percent healthy, but I'm able to hit," Crawford said Friday, "so I said pretty much whenever I'm able to start hitting the ball and swinging the bat, then I'll play."

Valentine said the elbow is a situation that continues to require monitoring.

"A red flag?" Valentine said when asked if that's what Crawford's characterization of his elbow raised. "You mean a red flag that there's still something in his elbow? I think we have to manage that situation as he plays. And maybe it's just a caution flag."

Crawford's groin strain isn't considered particularly serious — Valentine said it would only require ice and rest — but regardless, the Sox will have to wait a little while longer to get a full outfield, especially since centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury also remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

For more on the Red Sox, go to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston.

Carl Crawford Injury: Sprained Elbow Ligament Means Trouble

Carl Crawford earned $20 million last season and, let's be honest for a moment, was terrible.

Carl Crawford's going to earn $20 million this season, hasn't played yet, and isn't going to play soon.

Crawford's been out all month with an amorphous elbow injury, but it's amorphous no more:

BREAKING: @RedSox announce OF Carl Crawford has UCL sprain in left elbow and will be shut down from baseball activity.

— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2012

Early reports suggest that Crawford will try rehab instead of surgery; even if that works (early reports suggest), he's still going to miss another two or three months. Which means, if nothing else, a great deal of playing time for recent acquisition Marlon Byrd.

Losing Crawford for a long stretch is a little different from last season, when they might actually have been better off without him (again, just being honest). But while Byrd is a suitable long-term replacement, the Red Sox' margin for error is getting smaller by the day.

Carl Crawford Injury: Dr. James Andrews Inspecting Elbow

The headline is chilling. Dr. James Andrews. He wears all black and drives a hearse. The back is filled with ligaments and labrums. He's like the dude from Phantasm. And now Carl Crawford, whose elbow is still hurting, is going to see Dr. Andrews. /lightning flashes

Carl Crawford, still experiencing soreness in left elbow, will visit Dr. James Andrews soon. Exact date not known. #RedSoxTalk

— Sean McAdam(@Sean_McAdam) April 25, 2012

Not that long ago, the news was good on Crawford. He was finally set to play in some minor-league rehab games, hoping for a May return. But with the elbow still ailing, he's going to see Dr. Andrews and finally figure out what's going on.

A reminder: Tommy John surgeries aren't just the province of pitchers. Outfielders who have undergone the surgery include Matt Holliday, Shin-Soo Choo, and Brad Hawpe. The rehab time is usually shorter for position players, from to six to nine months, but any surgery would likely cost Crawford his season, which would mean two lost seasons out of the first two of a long, long contract.

Carl Crawford Playing In Rehab Games Soon

Carl Crawford played miserably last year. The Red Sox, considering expectations, also played miserably. Those two things are intimately linked. But Crawford has struggled before, and the best thing for both him and the Red Sox was to shake it off and start the next season anew, fresh with optimism.

Which is what makes his lingering elbow injury that much more frustrating. There might not be a player in the game who would have benefitted from a clean start more than Crawford. Even worse, it's an injury that's hard to pin down and create exact timetables for.

But he's making progress:

Crawford said elbow was diagnosed as a strain. Cropped up a few weeks ago, hopes to be hitting in Fort Myers by next week.

— Tim Britton (@TBritton_Projo) April 13, 2012

Crawford said elbow feeling better and hopes to play in rehab games next week. Also said wrist feels good too.

— Joe McDonald (@ESPNJoeyMac) April 13, 2012

If the rehab goes well, he could be back in Boston by the beginning of May. And he'll have time to rebuild his reputation with his new team. A long time. Like, until 2017.

Carl Crawford Injury: Red Sox Outfielder To Open Season On Disabled List

Carl Crawford had a rough year in 2011, culminated with his misplay on a sinking liner in Game 162 that allowed the winning run to score and kept the Red Sox out of the playoffs.

The rough year was probably caused, at least in part, by a wrist injury for which he had arthroscopic surgery in January. Now, after a couple of setbacks, Crawford and the Red Sox are admitting the Red Sox outfielder won’t be ready for Opening Day:

Crawford will open the season on the disabled list and is expected to continue his rehab in Fort Myers when the Sox head north next week. Though [manager Bobby] Valentine wouldn’t nail down a timetable, it seems like late April is the earliest possible date Crawford could return to the lineup.

These things always take longer than you think they will, or than any team official says they will. So if Valentine says “late April”, you can probably start thinking “sometime in May, maybe”.

For more on Crawford and the Red Sox, please visit Over The Monster.

Carl Crawford Has Setback In Wrist Surgery Recovery

After struggling through 2011, Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford underwent wrist surgery in January, which might have been a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. At the time, it didn't look like Crawford would miss Opening Day. A little later on, it looked like Crawford would miss Opening Day. Then he was cleared to swing, and it looked like Crawford wouldn't miss Opening Day. Now he's had a setback, and it looks like Crawford will miss Opening Day.

Crawford will need to rest left wrist five to seven games because of inflammation. Opening day in jeopardy.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) March 5, 2012

Crawford was swinging the bat fine for a little while, but then he developed inflammation in his surgically repaired wrist. If you ask him, he thinks he tried to do too much too soon. Scott Lauber:

"Bunting didn't help it," he said. "Pretty sure just what I've been doing over the course of the week, bunting and swinging and throwing and just doing all the activities probably didn't make it no better. The bunting, that was the final thing that probably took it over the edge."

I understand how bunting might have irritated Crawford's wrist, but it's funny to sit back and think that Carl Crawford made his situation worse by trying to bunt. Bunting: it's not harmless no more. In fact, A.J. Burnett sustained his broken facial bone while he was trying to bunt. On the one hand, bunting practice is apparently dangerous. On the other hand, I guess these players need a lot more practice bunting.

Crawford's wrist is getting better, and he should make a full recovery. Should he have to miss the beginning of the regular season, Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney would flank Jacoby Ellsbury. It sounds kind of significant to say "Crawford's opening day in jeopardy", but the reality is that Crawford could become active shortly thereafter. Opening Day sounds more meaningful than it is.

Carl Crawford Injury: Wrist Surgery Could Keep Sox Left Fielder Out In April