Carl

Crawford

He surpassed Aubrey Huff’s mark of 91 set last season. With his fourth leadoff homer of the season, Crawford also tied Gerald Williams’ team record. He is truly having a breakout campaign.

The injury has been bothering the speedster since August 21st, and may in part be responsible for Crawford’s recent slump (5-for-20). Crawford, who experiences discomfort when he swings, will likely miss a few more games at the minimum. The Devil Rays may be forced to recall Joey Gathright from the minors even though they would rather leave the young outfielder at Triple-A Durham during the Bulls’ playoff run.

The injury does not appear serious as the speedy outfielder did pinch-hit in the eighth inning and stayed in the game to play defense. Crawford should return to the Rays’ starting lineup tomorrow night.

It appears the two sides are focusing on a four-year deal at the moment. Such a pact wouldn’t buy out any years of free agency.

The Rays talked to both Crawford and Rocco Baldelli about six-year deals last summer. Nothing happened then, and talks with Baldelli haven’t restarted since he suffered a torn ACL. Crawford, however, might be moving closer to a deal. A four-year contract would take him to free agency.

Crawford’s lower back is a little tender after playing on the turf in Minnesota. Consider him day-to-day.

Crawford is day-to-day.

Crawford leads the AL in steals with 33 and broke the Tampa Bay record of 31 which was set in 2001 by Jason Tyner. Crawford hit .327 on the road trip to enhance his chances at stealing bases. The bad news is that he drew only one walk in the 11 games, and his OBP sits at .309 for the season. Crawford could be a serious force if he can find ways to reach base more often.

The speedy Crawford leads the majors in stolen base with 38, is fifth in both leagues with 58 runs scored, leads Tampa in hitting with a .317 batting average, and has not made an error in the outfield all season. It seems his All-Star credentials are sound.

They’ve also been negotiating with B.J. Upton to tie him up for a long time. They want to secure a future in Tampa with this group of young players.