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Crawford Lands On DL

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 11, 2008

SEATTLE - Injuries have forced the Rays to play without just about everyone who could be considered a key player on their team at one point or another this season.

It hasn't always been easy, but they have managed to survive - even thrive - while missing the likes of Scott Kazmir, Troy Percival, Carlos Pena, Dioner Navarro, Matt Garza and others.

The test that faces them in the coming weeks may be the most severe, though. As the Rays enter the stretch drive with something to play for, they'll be without Carl Crawford for a while.

The two-time All-Star was placed on the disabled list before Sunday's game with a partial dislocation of his right middle finger tendon and flew back to Tampa to be examined by a hand specialist today. It's the first trip to the DL for Crawford in seven big-league seasons.

Crawford felt his hand pop while checking his swing during an at-bat in the 10th inning Saturday night - "He said it felt like a rubber band snap," said Rays head trainer Ron Porterfield - but didn't inform the team's medical staff of the problem until after the game.

"I don't even know how it happened," Crawford said.

Mariners physician Edward Khalfayan examined Crawford after Saturday's game and told him he could be looking at six to eight weeks on the shelf. The Rays refused to speculate about how long Crawford could be sidelined, with Porterfield saying everyone should have a better idea after the outfielder visits hand specialist Doug Carlan today in St. Petersburg.

"I think at this point in time, with our situation, we're going to do whatever we can to get him back on the field as soon as possible," Porterfield said. "So whether that's splinting it and trying to let it heal or whether it's surgical intervention at some point in time - and I wouldn't even be able to tell you, until he sees that specialist, what the timeframe would be right now."

The injury is at the base of his middle finger, at the joint that connects it to the hand. Basically, the tendon that straightens the finger has come out of its groove. So when Crawford bends his finger downward, it locks in position there until he manually pushes the tendon back into place, allowing him to straighten his finger again. But as soon as he bends it again, the tendon once again slips out of the groove.

The Rays hope the injury can be treated with a splint. If not, Crawford may have to undergo surgery to reconstruct the tissue band that is supposed to hold the tendon in place. The latter option could sideline Crawford for quite a while - potentially the rest of the season - but the Rays didn't want to dwell on that possibility Sunday.

"Worrying, crying, complaining doesn't solve anything," Manager Joe Maddon said. "It's unfortunate; Carl's such a big part of what we're doing. But you've got to keep moving it along and we have people that we believe can step in there and do a great job also.

"You can't bemoan the fact that he's not here. That's not going to do anything in a constructive way for us. That's just the way it is as of today and we have to deal with it."

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