The Los Angeles Dodgers sent injured outfielder Carl Crawford and starting pitcher Ted Lilly to their High-A affiliate for rehab assignments, and the two came away with mixed results after Sunday's game in Rancho Cucamonga.
Crawford, who hasn't played since June 1 with a right hamstring strain, went 2-for-3 and came out of the game after five innings (as planned). Crawford, who lead things off as the designated hitter, slapped a grounder through the 5-6 hole for a single. He later came around to score in the same inning, sprinting from second on a bloop single that required an immediate test of the hamstring.
Crawford told me his hamstring feels good after being able to test a few times in his first rehab game. Of course, it will be how Crawford feels tomorrow after rest and recovery, that is more important as well as telling.
Things didn't go as well for Crawford's fellow Dodgers member, Ted Lilly, who allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four in three innings of work. The southpaw came out of the game in the fourth inning, after being struck by a liner off of Brandon Meredith's bat.
Lilly said the liner hit him directly in his left shin, where he had ice wrapped around it when discussing his rehab start. But the reason for his exit was a combination of pitch count, which Lilly said was a maximum of 75, and the injury -- not wanting to force it since he'd require at least another start.
While Lilly said he felt fine as far as his health goes, his mechanics and timing were out of whack as the southpaw failed to get into any kind of rhythm on the mound. When asked how many more rehab starts he would need, Lilly wasn't so sure, but did admit he would definitely need another one after.
