Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump... Where we check in with Crawford

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Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

If Crawford returns on the team’s timetable, he’ll be back by late June or early July. That would leave him half a season to salvage 2012 before it becomes more lost than 2011.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You definitely want to be out there feeling good, swinging the bat well, feeling strong. I’m feeling the way I want to feel and then to have this setback is definitely disappointing. But it’s something you can’t control. It’s not like it was your fault. It just happens and you’ve got to live with it.”

History is littered with players who struggled through injuries or ineffectiveness around age 30 and then regained their All-Star form. Think Larry Walker, Darren Daulton, or closer to home, Carl Yastrzemski.

“That’s definitely how I’m thinking,” Crawford said. “I just feel like when I do come out of this, I’m going to be stronger and healthier than I’ve been in a long time. I don’t want to look back after that.”

Herald - LF Carl Crawford craves return to Sox lineup

At the very back of my mind I truly believe that when Crawford returns (whenever that may be) that he's going to be huge for the Red Sox.  He's no Carl Pavano.  He didn't sign that huge contract and then decide it was time to take it easy.  He had been working as hard as ever to prove last season was a fluke before this setback.  This injury is only going to fuel him more.

While having an All-Star caliber player like Crawford patrolling left would surely help the Sox, we have no reason to complain about his (and Ellsbury's) replacements. 

I mocked Marlon Byrd's signing at the time, since he was coming to Boston with a .070 average after 43 at-bats in Chicago.  Well, he's had 37 at-bats with Boston, and his average is a solid .297 during that span.  Quite the turnaround, (even though he's only produced a single extra-base hit).  While he leaves a bit to be desired at the plate, he's not an instant out and he's been solid in the field.  For an emergency replacement, I'm pleased.

The Cody Ross - Ryan Sweeney duo has been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Sox as well.  Sweeney is batting .361 after 21 games with 12 doubles and a triple.  Ross is at .268 with 5 home runs and 18 RBIs (all better numbers than Gonzalez).  Both have had their fair share of clutch hits this season, too. 

While I'd love to see Crawford back in the lineup tonight, his return isn't nearly as pressing as it seemed back in March. 

On Page 2, the worst is confirmed for Mo

Mariano Rivera carted off field

Yankees closer, Mariano River, was carted off the field in KC this evening.  MLB.com has the info:

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was carted off the field at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday after appearing to suffer a right knee injury shagging fly balls during batting practice.

The Yankees were hitting on the diamond just after 7 p.m. ET as Rivera received attention in the outfield, with manager Joe Girardi among those watching the all-time saves leader be propped onto the back of a flatbed truck and driven around the warning track.

Head athletic trainer Steve Donohue was riding with Rivera, who was gingerly helped into the clubhouse and did not appear able to put pressure on his injured leg.

No further information was immediately available about Rivera's injury. Rivera regularly shags fly balls in center field during batting practice and has spoken about hoping to play the position in a game before he retires.

Rivera had hinted that this may be his last season, so if this is anything major, we very well may have seen the last of Mariano Rivera.  That's a little premature, obviously, but it's hard not to think the worst when you read a report like this.

You never want to see an all-time great go out like this, so let's hope it's just a sprain or something else minor.

How much is Jonathan Papelbon going to ask for?

For the last couple years there's been an ongoing conversation among Red Sox fans about Jonathan Papelbon and his long-term prospects. There seem to be two camps: 

• People who think he's a proven closer and thus deserves "a long-term contract"
• Usually more stat-heavy folks who think closers are by nature unreliable (and thus replaceable), so we should opt for "cheaper, short-term options"

I used quotes in these points because it doesn't seem that anyone ever keys in on exactly what kind of deal it would take. Let's do a little -- reasoned -- speculating.