NEW: Red Sox Send Crawford to Pawtucket

Email to a friend Permalink

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Sports Team

It has been a rough year and a half for Crawford since signing with Boston.

Those looking to to see Major League talent for a Minor League price can head to Pawtucket tomorrow to see four-time All Star and current Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford.

Crawford will be in the lineup for the PawSox when they host the Buffalo Bisons at 7:05 pm Thursday night. Crawford's stint with the PawSox is slated to last 20 days, and is his third injury rehab stop of 2012.

Crawford began his injury rehab tour with the Gulf Coast Red Sox on June 23rd, going 3-14 with 5 BB in five games. Crawford then moved on to the Portland Sea Dogs, where he was 4-10 with a triple and a run batted in. His stay in Portland was cut short, however, when he suffered a left groin strain running out that triple on July 5th.

One of Boston's more controversial free agent signings of the past decade, Crawford has yet to play a game for the Red Sox this season. The former Tampa Bay Rays star was out first due to off-season wrist surgery, but has since suffered a sprained ligament in his left elbow, along with a plethora of other minor injuries, including the groin strain.

Crawford's rehab stint with the PawSox comes almost exactly a year after he went 1-5 in a pair of games with Pawtucket last July 15th and 16th while recovering from a left hamstring strain. After signing with Boston from Tampa Bay in 2010, Crawford disappointed Red Sox fans last season, batting .255 (nearly 40 points below his career average of .293) with only 11 home runs.

Still, Crawford's career resume is impressive. He currently leads all active Major League players with 112 triples, and is only the eighth player since 1900 to record 100 home runs, 100 triples and 400 stolen bases. That accomplishment puts him in the same sentence as all-time greats like Ty Cobb, Paul Molitor and Lou Brock.

PawSox tickets are available online here.