Carl Crawford eager to return to action

Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres Friday, April 24, 2015 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The Dodgers beat the Padres 3-0. Photo by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2015.

By Jon Weisman

Carl Crawford was in fine spirits today as he made a short stop at Dodger Stadium today before resuming his rehab work at Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Crawford has been sidelined since April 27 with a right oblique injury, but contended that the time has been anything but idle.

“Trust me, they work around it,” Crawford said. “One thing I try to do is keep my legs strong, make sure I can still run, do the things that I do when I play. My legs feel good — I feel like I can steal a base at any time, I’ll run down balls in the outfield. The only thing I need to do now is play, swing the bat as much as I can. … I’d like to be back as soon as possible.”

Don Mattingly initially stated today that he didn’t expect Crawford back on the active roster before the All-Star Break, then backtracked slightly.

“I shouldn’t say it’s impossible, but he’s been out for a while and hasn’t played that much,” Mattingly said. “But I guess we’ll see as he gets going and playing. If he was swinging the bat well and feeling good, I guess that’s a possibility, but it’s not really part of the plan right now.

Mattingly and Crawford are on the same page regarding Crawford’s role when he returns, with Andre Ethier the primary lefty-hitting left fielder until further notice.

“‘Dre supports me, I support him,” Crawford said. “It’s what’s best for the team right now. … I’m gonna support the guys and Don’s decision, and when it’s my turn, it’s my turn. You’ve got to stay in shape and be ready to go.”

Said Mattingly: “I think ‘Dre has been good enough that he deserves that chance to be the guy, but that being said for everyone, honestly, it is a production game, and you have to play guys who give you the best chance to win down the stretch. But ‘Dre, I felt like he swung the bat better the past few days, hit the ball good in Miami but didn’t get anything for it (but it went) a little bit better in Arizona. I think ‘Dre just had a little bit more of a lull, more than anything else.”

Thanks to going 4 for 7 with a double, home run and walk in his past two games, Ethier still boasts an .829 OPS for the season. He had a .231 on-base percentage and .278 slugging percentage in his previous 24 games (78 plate appearances).