Red Sox Crawford Ready For Return
BOSTON (CBS) – One month after landing on the disabled list, Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford is set to make his return against the Baltimore Orioles Monday night.
Crawford missed the last month with a left hamstring strain he suffered running out an infield single against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 17. He played two games for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox over the weekend, going 1-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and run scored over 10 innings of work. He fielded the only ball hit his way in the outfield and did not show any signs the hamstring was still bothering him.
Gallery: Red Sox On The DL
Crawford is batting .243 in his first season with Boston. He started with a disappointing April and found himself bouncing to various spots in the batting order; from third to sixth, and even as low as eighth. But Crawford turned things around before his DL stint, amassing 49 hits and 25 RBI over 43 games in May and June.
"He's one of our prime players," said Red Sox DH David Ortiz. "It's always a plus, whatever he contributes to the team."
Although the Red Sox offense is tops in the Majors in most statistical categories, it will be nice to get Crawford back in the lineup. He will bring more speed to the base paths and can take some pressure off the heart of the Boston order if he returns to the sixth spot. If Crawford can catch fire again, like he did in late-May, early-June when he had three four-hit showings in 10-games, the Red Sox will frighten opposing pitching staffs that much more.
While Crawford played the outfield in Pawtucket, he could see time at DH over the next three games in Baltimore. Ortiz is expecting to hear from MLB about his suspension appeal, and will likely have his four-game ban reduced to three. Ortiz will have to begin serving the suspension right away, freeing up a spot for Crawford to DH.
