Carl Crawford's Rehab Shifts To Portland

Outfielder Carl Crawford, on the disabled list since the start of the season due to various injuries, is shifting his rehab assignment from the Rookie League to Double-A Portland. There are reports that Jacoby Ellsbury will be joining him on Tuesday as well, the first day that Crawford is expected to play with the Sea Dogs, but Ellsbury played with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox today, while Crawford's move to Portland was announced instead.

The rain in Florida kept Crawford from playing as often as he could have during the start of the rehab assignment, but he snuck in five games and 19 plate appearances. He hit just .214/.421/.286 -- not that those rates mean anything in so little playing time -- but there is a positive to be taken out of his time in the GCL: four of his five games came in the outfield.

That's a big deal for a player who has been out as long as they have thanks to a sprain in their ulnar collateral ligament that necessitated a platelet-rich plasma injection, rather than surgery. Assuming there are no setbacks -- and if there were, they'd likely be from his elbow, rather than his surgically-repaired wrist, as he was expected to be back that particular mallady back in late-April -- Crawford should be back right around the now-looming All-Star break.