Carl Crawford Undergoes Successful Tommy John Surgery Performed by Dr. James Andrews

Carl Crawford‘s oft-discussed Tommy John surgery finally occurred on Thursday, and according to the team, it went well.

“Carl Crawford underwent a successful left elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) performed by Dr. James Andrews [Thursday],” the team said in a statement. “We expect Carl to make a full recovery.”

The Red Sox outfielder had been playing through the injury, but after his condition worsened, he and the team decided to go ahead with surgery. While the recovery time for Tommy John is estimated to be about 12 months for pitchers, position players who undergo the procedure have been able to return in quicker fashion.

In 31 games this season for the Sox, Crawford hit .283 with three homers and 19 RBIs.