According to Peter Abraham, Carl Crawford is set to begin the most significant portion of his rehab process -- the thing he couldn't do that set the whole elbow trouble off to begin with -- by starting a throwing program Friday. Crawford hasn't had any trouble swinging the bat, and even took part as a DH in extended spring training when the season first began in order to get work in, but his inability to throw with any effort or distance meant something was amiss in his elbow.

We'll know soon enough if the platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow did the trick on his partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament once he gets going on this throwing program. That's not the only injury Crawford was dealing with, though, as he also had wrist surgery this off-season. According to Crawford, the wrist is, "pretty much 100 percent at this point," and that he doesn't, "even get treatment for that any more." This isn't surprising, as the wrist was only supposed to keep him out until mid-April, before his elbow became a problem.

It's taken time -- more than was expected -- but it looks like Crawford is finally working his way back for real this time. A healthy Crawford looking for a fresh start -- with a manager he admits he likes a lot more than he thought he would thanks to his love of teaching -- could be good for everyone involved: the Sox, Crawford, and the fans who are still having difficulty accepting his contract.