With the player obviously in favor of undergoing the procedure now, the Red Sox have decided to relent: Carl Crawford will have Tommy John surgery Thursday and sit out the rest of the season.
Crawford missed the first half of the season rehabbing his wrist and elbow, but he returned last month to hit .282/.306/.479 in 117 at-bats, which should at least help alleviate concerns that he’s going to be a complete bust in a Red Sox uniform after an extremely disappointing first year in Boston.
Still, he couldn’t have helped his standing with the fanbase by making it known that he wanted surgery now. Even had Crawford waited until after the season, he most likely would have been ready for Opening Day 2013. Given that he’s a left fielder, it’s not as though he’s forced to unleash several hard throws per game. Actually playing in games will be less intensive than much of his rehab is going to be.
With Crawford out, Scott Podsednik likely will get most of the starts in left field for now. Daniel Nava should return within a week to share time there.