Crawford should be healthy after All-Star break

Carl Crawford, despite his slow start, had been a near-constant in the Red Sox lineup, having played in 67 of the team's 69 games.

Kim Klement/ US PRESSWIRE

Carl Crawford's season seemed to be coming around, but he'll have to start over after the All Star break now.

Crawford was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Red Sox on Saturday after straining his hamstring in Friday's game against the Brewers. Crawford has been relatively healthy over his career, with only minor injuries along the way. While Crawford is among the fastest players in the game, he's not a pure "speed player," relying on his legs for his value. Instead, Crawford's legs are only a part of what the Red Sox paid for, a complete package that didn't seem to come complete to Boston.

While many wondered whether Crawford was hurt during his early season struggles, Crawford steadfastly said he'd fix things and he did. Most think that Crawford was pressing, but the Houston native isn't a fan of the press and is very steadfast in his pre-game routines, which both found big changes in Boston. Crawford switched from a Red Sox suggested pregame routine at the end of April, which coincides nicely with his return to form.

The hamstring strain is not serious, but as with Derek Jeter, the team knows that Crawford has a huge work ethic and is protecting him from himself. Hamstring strains can be made significantly worse if not allowed to heal. Crawford should be fine at the minimum, which would be just before the All Star break, so many are speculating that the team will hold him out through the break to get him just a bit more rest.

Crawford was replaced last night by Drew Sutton and on the roster by prospect Josh Reddick, who will be among the mix-and-match options for Terry Francona over the next couple weeks. Neither is a great fantasy option. Crawford should be DL'ed if possible, but should not be dropped in all formats.