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.

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