Crawford has been taking swings in the cages for a few weeks and even moved onto a full-on batting practice last week. The left fielder has also begun a throwing program that has him already looking to make a rehab assignment in the minors very soon.
As for Ellsbury, the center fielders shoulder is coming along well and it looks like the AL's reigning MVP runner-up should be back swiping bases on the diamond soon enough.
NESN.com MLB reporter Didier Morais took to Twitter on Monday to answer questions from Red Sox Nation and baseball fans everywhere. The conversation discussed the return of Ellsbury and Crawford, Daniel Bard's future outlook and some insights into the direction of the bullpen.
Check out the transcript of the chat below.