PAWTUCKET, R.I.Carl Crawford is feeling the pressure.General manager Ben Cherington told reporters with the Red Sox in Tampa Bay that if all goes well in Crawfords rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket this weekend, the left fielder will be activated Monday for the start of a four-game series against the White Sox.Why Monday?Probably because I feel the pressure of everybody wanting me to be out there, Crawford said after his outing Thursday with the PawSox. So I figure try to get as many at-bats in. Thats the fastest time we could think of.Crawford began his second rehab assignment Thursday, with Triple-A Pawtucket. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored leading off and playing left field in the PawSox loss to Buffalo. He played five innings, had one putout and handled his four chances cleanly.Crawford said he plans to play nine innings in each of the next two games. He may also play Sunday, or opt for an off-day before being activated.Crawford has been on the disabled list since the start of the season after surgery on his left wrist in mid-January and a subsequent sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He had been on a previous rehab assignment but was pulled back after suffering a mild strain of his left groin while rounding second running out a triple on July 5 while playing with Double-A Portland.Crawford has yet to play for the Red Sox. Now, he must balance the pressure hes feeling to get back with making sure he is healthy.Just pretty much if I feel like I can go out there and contribute and help the team and really help the team, then Ill make a decision that I can be out there, he said.He is feeling the pressure from all corners, he said.I want to be out there myself, he said. I know the fans want me to be out there, management, everybody wants me to be out there. Plus I want to be out there. So, its kind of a mixture of all that.At this point right now, Im able to play so Im just going to go with it. Thats the day we picked, whether Im ready or not. Ill be out there, hopefully.Its been a frustrating season for him.I have to be extremely patient this year, he said. Make sure things are where they should be. So, its been a test for me this year.Definitely frustrating for me because I want to be out there and its hard. Im not a guy who likes to make a lot of excuses. So, I want to be out there. At the same time, I have to be careful. And its a fine line with trying to explain why youre not out there and why youre still on the sideline.But, I feel like Im close, closer than I ever was before or early on in the year. At this point in my time right now, I just feel like its time to get out on the field and see what I can do.Crawford, though, has some concerns about the health of his elbow. He acknowledged last week he may need surgery on it at some point. For now, though, hes trying not to let his concerns affect his performance.It never really gave me any problems when Im swinging so Im not really worried about my elbow at the plate, he said. When Im throwing I just said whenever it happens, it happens. But Im not going to hold back once I get on the field. If I take that field again, Im going to go all out.But there is a worry that it is the elbow that will go out.Its a little concern, but at the same time once I cross those white lines and get on the field, Im not going to worry about it, he said.Crawford has adjusted his throwing mechanics to accommodate the elbow.Just trying to have proper mechanics, he said. More like what youll see a pitcher do. They throw the right way and they dont really have problems because theyre not throwing all awkward and stuff. And I was throwing in a way that I was putting a lot of strain on my elbow. So, just trying to throw the right way.In a combined nine rehab gamesfive with the Gulf Coast League team, three with Portland, and one with PawtucketCrawford is a 9-for-27 with five runs scored, one RBI, and five strikeouts.He did a nice job, Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler said of Crawfords performance on Thursday. I havent seen what hes been doing at the other places but he had some good swings and he ran around the bases a little bit, got on base. Thats what hes here to do. He had a couple balls hit to him, got to chase some balls down, hit the cut-off man, throw to the relay guys. and got some reps in. that was a good night for him.Crawford, who expects to play a full nine innings in his next two games with Pawtucket, said he is most encouraged by being in a regular routine.Ive been doing it for a while now so basically getting at-bats for me is the biggest challenge and getting my timing back, he said.Im most encouraged by the fact that Im playing back-to-back games and my body feels well. Im really excited about getting back on the field.Crawford acknowledged he was nervous about Thursdays game. He had played two games on a rehab assignment on July 15 and 16, 2011, for Pawtucket, recovering from a left hamstring strain.Just being back out on the field, being in Pawtucket, he said, of what caused the nerves. I remember I got booed here last year. So I didnt have to worry about that again. This is just kind of my little thing everywhere I go now. So, thats pretty much it.He said he expects some nerves on Monday, also.I was nervous today. I dont know if Ill be nervous on the first day, he said. Ill probably be a little nervous, probably nerves building up, and all that excitement building up and pretty sure Ill have a few butterflies.I feel like the expectations are going to always be high. So, my thing is just play within myself and really dont worry about all that.That will be a good thing for the Red Sox if nerves are the only thing bothering him when he makes his first start of the season.