Red Sox LF Crawford has sprained ligament in elbow

The team released a statement Thursday night saying Crawford's diagnosis was made by the Red Sox medical staff and confirmed by Dr. James Andrews. Crawford received a Platelet Rich Plasma injection and will be shut down from baseball activity "during the initial phase of his treatment."

The club did not announce a timetable for Crawford's return, but he is expected to miss at least another month or two — maybe more.

"It is what it is what it is," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "We'll just let Mother Nature to 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 a while is going to kill him more than it's killing me."

The Red Sox were already short-handed in the outfield because of an injury to All-Star center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who finished second in the voting for AL MVP last season. Ellsbury is expected to be out until June because of a right shoulder injury sustained against Tampa Bay on April 13.

Boston acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday to help fill the void. Byrd hit just .070 (3 for 43) with Chicago, but collected his fifth hit in four games for the Red Sox on Thursday night in a 10-3 victory against the White Sox.