Carl Crawford will ask the Red Sox if he can have Tommy John surgery, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Crawford missed the entire first half of the season with an issue in his left elbow, specifically to the always dangerous ulnar collateral ligament.
Crawford returned to the Red Sox on July 16th, but he's never been 100 percent and continued to play in pain. With the Red Sox almost certainly removed from contention during this stretch run, the plan is now to reportedly shut things down and have the Tommy John. The procedure has become much more prevalent recently, specifically among pitchers, with the success rate much higher. But it's also a serious operation that requires nearly a year of rehab before a player sees the field again.
The Globe's Abraham did have an email exchange with GM Ben Cherington, who indicated that Crawford had not yet asked the front office if he could have the surgery.
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