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Surgery To Sideline Rays' Crawford 6-8 Weeks
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Published: August 13, 2008
Updated: 08/13/2008 12:11 am
OAKLAND, Calif. - If the Rays are to make the playoffs for the first time in their history, they'll have to clinch a spot without the guy who has played more games for them than anyone else.
Carl Crawford will undergo surgery on his right middle finger Thursday in Arizona, and he isn't expected to be able to return to the lineup for six to eight weeks. The team obviously is hoping he'll come back on the low side of that estimate, but six weeks from Thursday is Sept. 25 - the first day of the Rays' final regular-season series.
"If every single thing went extremely well, I'd say there's a chance he could play in a regular-season game," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Tuesday.
Still, the Rays can't count on Crawford returning with any degree of certainty - even if they were to make the playoffs - but consultations with several medical experts convinced them surgery was the only choice.
Crawford has a subluxation of the extensor tendon in his right middle finger. Essentially, a tissue breakdown has led the tendon to slide out of its slot, and surgery is the only viable way to fix it. Fitting Crawford with a splint and letting him try to rehab without operating was briefly considered, but the doctors the Rays consulted recommended against it.
"To a man, it was something that just didn't seem like the prudent thing to do," Friedman said.
The surgery will be performed by Donald Sheridan, a specialist in the field and someone Crawford's agents had a "familiarity" with, Friedman said. Sheridan was one of the doctors the Rays consulted about Crawford, along with their own hand specialist, Doug Carlan, and others.
"It's a fairly simple procedure, but it's something that, the downside was too great if we didn't go ahead and get it taken care of now," said Friedman. "We're fairly optimistic that he'll be able to return in six weeks, but we'll know a lot more once he's a couple weeks into the recovery."
With Crawford essentially sidelined at least through the end of the regular season, the Rays will turn to a platoon to fill his spot in left field. Eric Hinske and Justin Ruggiano, who was recalled from Durham and started Tuesday, will be asked to hold down the fort. Gabe Gross and Rocco Baldelli will be split up the same way in right field. Ben Zobrist also could fill in at either spot.
At third base, Willy Aybar is poised to get most of the starts until Evan Longoria's projected return from the disabled list around Sept. 1.
The left side of the field and the heart of the batting order certainly will have a different look in the meantime, but Manager Joe Maddon and his players expressed confidence that the All-Stars' replacements will be up to the challenge.
"It's not optimal, but there's nothing we can do about it," Maddon said. "I have 100-percent faith in our guys that they're going to do well during this absence, I really do, regardless of who we're playing against.
"We've got enough guys out there that have played often enough this year, and primarily we've done it through pitching and defense anyway; it's not been about the offensive side of the ball. The biggest thing for me is we continue pitch well, catch it, and I think we'll score enough runs to win."
Of course, not having Crawford and Longoria on the field can't help but have a negative impact on the Rays' defense (and by extension, their pitching) because the two are so valuable with the glove. But at least the Rays can take some solace in knowing that, for the most part, they'll be running out players they are comfortable with each day.
Aybar opened the season as the Rays' starting third baseman, and though he has played everywhere else on the infield this season, third is his natural position. Likewise, Hinske has started 53 games in the outfield this season and Gross 44.
Ruggiano and Baldelli obviously haven't been around as much, but the rookie has been a standout all season at Durham, and the butterflies are long gone as this is his fourth stint with the Rays this season. With Baldelli, it is just a matter of him staying healthy and able to play the field regularly.
"Joe's done a good job of getting bench guys in there regularly," said Hinske, "so it's not like somebody hasn't played for 21 days or something and now they've got to start."
The Rays will just have to hope that the added exposure doesn't turn players who have been effective in supporting roles into flops on the big stage.
"When a guy starts playing every day, one of two things can occur - he can get better or he can actually get worse," Maddon said. "So you've got to really pay attention."
Everyone will be.
Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.
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