Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford suffers thumb injury
He will not require surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training in February.
PHILLIES TOP prospect J.P. Crawford was pulled from Arizona Fall League action and won't return.
But it wasn't because he had a slow bat following a long regular season between Class A Clearwater and Double A Reading. It's because of an injury.
Crawford suffered a slight ligament tear in his left thumb. The 20-year-old shortstop said the injury will not require surgery. He is expected to be 100 percent healthy when spring training gets underway in Clearwater, Fla, in February.
The injury happened on Oct. 22, when Crawford's hand made contact with a baserunner on a stolen base attempt. Crawford hadn't played since.
"A guy slid into me trying to steal - the throw took me off the line and we ran into each other," said Crawford, who is back home in Lakewood, Calif.
Phillies player development director Joe Jordan said Crawford would be in a splint for 3-4 weeks. Since the AFL season ends next month, the team decided to shut him down.
Crawford was hitting .150 (3-for-20) in five games with the Glendale Desert Dogs in AFL play. He hit .288 with a .793 OPS in 107 games this season between Reading and Clearwater.
Crawford was the Phillies first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2013 draft. He is expected to begin next season in the minor leagues again but could be on the major league radar at some point in 2016 for the rebuilding Phillies.