Carl Crawford to Rehab in Pawtucket - FRI. & SAT.

The Boston Red Sox will send OF Carl Crawford to Pawtucket for an injury rehab assignment on Friday (7:05 pm) and Saturday (6:05 pm) nights when the PawSox host the Durham Bulls at McCoy Stadium. Crawford has been on Boston's disabled list since June 18 with a left hamstring strain suffered while beating out an infield single in the bottom of the 1st-inning on June 17 vs. Milwaukee.

Crawford is batting .243 in 67 games for the Red Sox this season with 11 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 31 RBI and 8 SB. He batted .316 in his last 21 games prior to the injury with 4 HR & 17 RBI. Carl hit .155 in 24 games in April and was still as low as .205 in mid-May (May 18) but he recovered to bat .304 in 29 games in May and was hitting .278 in 14 games in June at the time of his injury. Crawford, who started 67 of Boston's first 69 games in left field, had three walk-off hits in May...on May 1 vs. Seattle (9th-inning), May 9 vs. Minnesota (11th-inning), and May 19 vs. Detroit (9th-inning).

Signed by the Red Sox as a free agent last December, he has a .294 career average (1,544-for-5,255) with 226 doubles, 110 home runs, 623 RBI, 798 runs and 302 walks in 1,302 games over parts of 10 Major League seasons with Tampa Bay (2002-10) and Boston (2011). He leads all active players with 109 triples and is second in that group with 417 stolen bases.

Crawford, who turns 30 on August 5, was originally chosen by Tampa Bay in the 2nd round (#52 overall) of the 1999 draft. His last minor league experience came, ironically, with the Durham Bulls in 2002 when he hit .297 in 85 games with 7 HR, 52 RBI, and 26 SB. He was promoted to Tampa Bay almost nine years ago - on July 20, 2002 - and had been with the Rays ever since until signing with Boston this off-season. Carl was a four-time All-Star with Tampa Bay in 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2010. He is just the 8th player since 1900 to reach 100 HR, 100 triples, and 400 stolen bases joining the likes of Cobb, Speaker, Brock, and Molitor among three others.

A Hall of Fame List of Rehabbers - Carl Crawford joins the illustrious group of Major League stars who have spent time with the PawSox on an injury rehab assignment over the years. The list includes (in part): Rocco Baldelli (2009), Marty Barrett (1989), Josh Beckett (2010), Clay Buchholz (2010), Ellis Burks (1989), Mike Cameron (2010), Jose Canseco (1995 & '96), Sean Casey (2008), Roger Clemens (1993 & '95), Dennis Eckersley (1998), Jacoby Ellsbury (2010), Nomar Garciaparra (2001), Mike Greenwell (1995 & '96), Bobby Jenks (2011), Mark Kotsay (2009), John Lackey (2011), Mike Lowell (2008 & 2010), Ramon Martinez (1999), Daisuke Matsuzaka (2008, 2009, 2010), Darnell McDonald (2011), Willie McGee (1995), Kevin Mitchell (1996), Trot Nixon (2004), David Ortiz (2008), Dustin Pedroia (2010), Manny Ramirez (2002), Bret Saberhagen (1997 & 2000), Curt Schilling (2005 & '07), Marco Scutaro (2011), John Smoltz (2009), Bob Stanley (1988), Mike Timlin (2007 & '08), John Valentin (2001), Jason Varitek (2006 & 2010), Tim Wakefield (2009), and Kevin Youkilis (2009).