ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Carl Crawford is set to rejoin the Red Sox Monday and make his 2012 debut, after an off-season in which he underwent surgery on his wrist, then suffered a ligament injury in his left elbow.
Crawford missed all of spring training and has had two setbacks during his minor league rehab assignment, but appears ready to be activated for the start of a four-game series with the White Sox.
Manager Bobby Valentine, asked if expectations might be too high for Crawford's return, said he was keeping things in check.
"I'm not expecting any immediate impact,'' said Valentine. "I'm just expecting one of nine, a guy who can go out there and be a contributor. I've never been around Carl in a game situation and I hope that whatever he needs is provided him from his surroundings and I hope he's healthy.
"I think if he's healthy, he'll do fine.''
Crawford has expressed concern that he might eventually have to undergo Tommy John surgery on the sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), but Valentine said it's best to put that out of his mind.
"That's nerve-wracking,'' said Valentine of that thought process, "and I don't know that's necessarily the case. I've heard a lot of opinions on that.''
Boston Red Sox
Valentine had some difficulty initially getting in touch with Crawford after Valentine was first hired, and some believed that Crawford was miffed at his new manager for some comments Valentine made about the outfielder as a broadcaster on ESPN.
"We're fine,'' insisted Valentine. "I don't think we ever had a problem. I think the delay in talking to me was because of his wrist bothering him.''
Valentine said he hadn't planned out a lineup with Crawford and was unsure where
he would hit in the batting order.
"It will all depend on everybody else,'' said Valentine.