Crawford's visit to orthopedist a ‘fact-finding mission'

MINNEAPOLIS -- Carl Crawford's pending visit to noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews was termed a "fact-finding mission,'' according to manager Bobby Valentine.
Prior to gametime Wednesday, the Red Sox didn't have a set time or date for Crawford's visit to Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., where the outfielder is set to get a second opinion on his sore left elbow.
Crawford has had the elbow looked at in Boston twice in the last week, but has decided he wants to have someone else examine him.
"The only thing I heard,'' said Valentine, "is that he hadn't been throwing for a couple of days (in extended spring training) and then he was shagging and picked up a ball and kind of lobbed it in. He still felt something, so that's what raised concerns.
"Sometimes it's that you haven't thrown in a few days and you didn't warm up and you weren't expecting to throw and you throw and it's an owie. It's not like he's gone out and tried to throw and said, 'I can't throw.' And I bet if this was the seventh game of the World Series and he had to advance it in, he could advance it forward.''
The Red Sox performed an MRI on the elbow during Crawford's first visit back to Boston prior to the home opener. He was unsure whether a second one was performed Tuesday when Crawford was re-examined in Boston.
Asked if surgery loomed as a possibility for Crawford, Valentine reacted with surprise.
"I haven't heard any reason that's there's a surgical procedure (that might) be necessary,'' he said. "I haven't heard that. Hope not.''