Los Angeles Dodgers leftfielder Carl Crawford is suffering from minor nerve irritation in his left arm and is expected to miss at least a week of spring training. The setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery jeopardizes the plan for him to be ready for opening day.
The irritation in his elbow is common during the rehab process from Tommy John surgery. Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache prescribed rest and anti-inflammatory medication. Crawford will continue to participate in workouts, though he will not be able to hit or throw for at least another week.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly acknowledged opening day may be a stretch. “It challenges opening day a little bit. Talking with Carl, he says ‘I know I can still do it,’ but I’ve said all along, it’s why we haven’t set hard deadlines for anything,” manager Don Mattingly said. “When Carl gets on the field, I want him to be competitive.”
The Dodgers acquired Crawford in trade from the Boston Red Sox last August 25 in the blockbuster deal that sent him, along with Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers, in exchange for James Loney,Jerry Sands, Ivan De Jesus Jr, Allen Webster and Ruby De La Rosa.
If the Dodgers are forced to start Crawford on the disabled list replacement candidates could include Jerry Hairston Jr. , Skip Schumaker along with Alex Castellanos, and Tony Gwynn Jr..
