Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Crawford is about 80-85 percent healthy in his recovery from a sprained left ankle that landed him on the disabled list May 28. Mattingly couldn’t say for certain, but “we’re hoping he’ll be ready when he’s due to come off. I think it’s the last game of the Cincinnati series (June 12).”
Once that happens, what will happen to Matt Kemp?
Kemp, who is struggling with a career-low .243 batting average and has just four hits in his past 34 at-bats, has been spelling Crawford in left. It figures once Crawford is ready to play, Kemp will be the odd man out.
Mattingly wouldn’t go there. Actually, he wouldn’t go anywhere with it.
“We don’t have to talk about that now,” he said. “I don’t want to right now.”
What about a platoon situation with Crawford and Kemp?
“I’m not thinking about any of that right now,” said Mattingly, who said his current thinking was centered more on how his team can put together some victories.
“I’m clearly focused on that,” he said.