Carl Crawford has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left (throwing) elbow, an injury that often results in Tommy John surgery. Rather than opt for surgery, the Red Sox said the outfielder will follow a protocol of more conservative treatment. "It is what it is what it is," Bobby Valentine said. "We'll just let Mother Nature take the time to heal him up and get him back. I don't know how to explain it or put it into my thought. I wish he was 100 percent. Not playing for awhile is going to kill him more than it's killing me." A major league source told ESPN's Pedro Gomez that Crawford is expected to miss three months.