Huskies star Crawford may need Tommy John surgery

When Reggie Crawford walked off the pitcher’s mound in the second inning of a scrimmage against Rhode Island on Oct. 16, it was almost certainly the final time he’d do so as a UConn player.

But Crawford, who suffered a partial tear in his left elbow that will likely require Tommy John surgery, will almost certainly be back on a mound as a professional. In fact, UConn coach Jim Penders expects the 6-foot-4, 235-pound left-hander, who was recently ranked the No. 13 college prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft by Baseball America, to still be selected early in next summer’s draft.

“If he’s not a shoo-in for the beginning of the first round,” Penders said, “I don’t know anything about baseball.”

Crawford hit .295 with a team-high 13 homers and 62 RBI as a first baseman/ designated hitter for the Big East-champion Huskies this past spring. He pitched just 72⁄3 innings but struck out 17 batters, and had been continuing to impress majorleague scouts with his 100MPH-plus fastball throughout the summer.

“He’s got very low mileage, very few clicks on that odometer of his, in regard to pitching,” said Penders, who will enter his 19th season as UConn’s head coach next spring. “I think that should be attractive to organizations. In my opinion, he’s made his bones. I know a lot of scouts have shared that with me. He’s done enough. Maybe, if anything, some other (teams) think they have a shot at him now.”

Crawford has been harboring the dream of being a two-way player at the pro level someday, and Penders doesn’t believe Crawford will alter from that goal, even if he winds up undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“I think he has his mind set on doing both, as long as he can,” Penders said. “I don’t think this will discourage him at all.”

While Tommy John is the probable course, he will be getting second and third opinions from surgeons, a product of the well-connected advisors he has, along with former UConn players reaching out to help him.

Crawford, 20, had thrown four innings in his previous outing, and was slated to go four against URI, then shut down for the rest of the fall.

“It’s a shame,” Penders said, “but it’s not the end for Reggie. This is just getting started. He’s got a really, really bright future. As bright a future as I’ve seen in college baseball. College baseball’s not the end for him. He’s going to do great things in professional baseball, for sure.”

Consistent with his upbeat personality, Crawford is handling things well, according to Penders.

“Even this can’t wipe the smile from his face. The kid’s got a megawatt smile and great presence to him. I’m sure that he spent some nights not all that happy, but he’s never shown that to his teammates, coaches, peers or friends. He’s always positive energy. That’s just who he is.”

Penders calls Crawford “Reggie Regimen,” because he’s so disciplined about his daily workouts and taking care of himself. That will be even more vital now if he opts for Tommy John, which typically takes about 12 months of rehab. Pitchers off bounce back even stronger after successful Tommy John surgery.

“The hardest part is, he’s got to make this decision himself, what’s best for him,” said Penders. “We can certainly guide and use our resources available to us to help him make that decision, but ultimately it’s up to him. We’re going to support whatever he decides.

“I’ll bet the house on Reggie Crawford,” Penders added, “every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.”