Crawford is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.
The Phillies will hold the left-handed-hitting Crawford out for just the second time this season, shielding him from Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga while adding another right-handed bat (Otto Kemp) to the starting outfield. Crawford has done well early on to hold his own at the plate with a .288 average and .755 OPS, but the rookie hasn't offered much of an impact on the bases (one steal in two attempts) after swiping 46 bags in 113 Triple-A games in 2025.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Knocks in game-winning run
Rotowire
Crawford went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a strikeout in Wednesday's win over the Nationals.
Crawford has hit safely in four of his first five games of the season, including each of the last three, but he delivered his first extra-base hit Wednesday. Aside from extending his on-base streak to five games and collecting a season-high three hits, Crawford also knocked in the game-winning run with a single to right field, allowing Brandon Marsh to cross home plate and complete the Phillies' comeback. This was Crawford's first RBI of the season.
Crawford is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals.
The left-handed-hitting Crawford was in the lineup for each of the previous two games versus lefties but will begin Monday's series opener on the bench in what appears to be simply a routine day off. Brandon Marsh will shift over to center field and Otto Kemp will play left field Monday.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Opening season in majors
Rotowire
The Phillies informed Crawford on Saturday that he will be on the team's Opening Day roster, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
Crawford has slashed .277/.320/.383 with two RBI, 10 runs scored and three stolen bases through 50 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League -- good enough for the Phillies to feel comfortable naming him as their primary center fielder. The 22-year-old has demonstrated an excellent ability to make contact during his time in the minors and boasts exceptional speed, having swiped 46 bags at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025. However, he may face competition for playing time once Johan Rojas returns from his 80-game suspension in late June.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Looking like primary center fielder
Rotowire
Crawford went 1-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
After being invited to Phillies camp for spring training, the 22-year-old outfielder has responded by batting .250 (9-for-36) with two RBI, two doubles, seven runs scored and two steals over 12 Grapefruit League outings. Crawford, one of Philadelphia's top prospects, appears poised for an Opening Day roster spot and is likely to see plenty of action in center field in 2026, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. It's also worth noting that Johan Rojas is facing a potential 80-game suspension at the onset of the regular season due to a positive drug test. Last year for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Crawford hit .334 with 34 extra-base hits, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored and 46 stolen bases across 440 at-bats.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Invited to spring training
Rotowire
The Phillies have extended Crawford an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.
The decision comes as no surprise, as Crawford -- while not yet on the 40-man roster -- is expected to open the 2026 season as the Phillies' primary center fielder. He slashed .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025 and is heading into his age-22 season.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: In line to start in center field
Rotowire
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday that the team plans to have Brandon Marsh, Crawford and Adolis Garcia as its primary outfielders in 2026, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The Phillies officially announced the Garcia signing Tuesday, and Dombrowski intimated that another notable addition to the club's outfield is unlikely. Crawford will still have to show in spring training that he's ready to take over as the Phillies' primary center fielder, but the team is positioning him to be the guy at that position. There are questions about Crawford's defense in center field, but his bat looks ready after he slashed .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025 as a 21-year-old.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Expected to make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated Tuesday that Crawford has a strong chance to open the season in the majors, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The Phillies lost Max Kepler and Harrison Bader to free agency and are expected to trade or release Nick Castellanos, which would leave Brandon Marsh as the team's only returning outfielder. Even if they sign an outfielder in free agency, that would still leave a spot open for Crawford. The 21-year-old makes good contact, striking out 18.0 percent of the time in 112 Triple-A games last season en route to a .334 batting average, and he's stolen 40-plus bags for three straight years. He pounds the ball into the ground, however, and has topped out at nine home runs in a season.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Recovering from concussion
Rotowire
It's unknown if Crawford (concussion) will play again this season, MLB.com reports.
Crawford departed Triple-A Lehigh Valley's contest on Sept. 4 following a collision with Otto Kemp on a fly ball, and the former remains in the concussion protocol after going on the injured list Sept. 5. Lehigh Valley's season finale is scheduled for Sept. 21, which gives Crawford a bit more than a week to recover in order to return before the campaign ends. The 21-year-old speedster is one of Philadelphia's top prospects, slashing .334/.411/.452 with 34 extra-base hits, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored and 46 stolen bases across 506 plate appearances in the minor leagues.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Dealing with quad injury
Rotowire
Crawford hasn't played for Triple-A Lehigh Valley since June 5 due to a quad injury, Corey Nidoh of Philly Sports Network reports.
He reportedly participated in pregame activities Tuesday but has missed six games in a row with the injury without having been placed on the 7-day injured list. Crawford, 21, is one of the youngest players at Triple-A and is slashing .349/.416/.448 with one home run and 23 steals in 52 games. He could produce a high average and a plethora of steals if given a shot in the big leagues later this summer, but his extreme groundball (63.6 GB%) and opposite-field (43.8 Oppo%) tendencies will prevent him from hitting for notable power.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Bumped up to Double-A
Rotowire
The Phillies promoted Crawford from High-A Jersey Shore to Double-A Reading on Friday.
Crawford didn't immediately report to Reading over the weekend since he took part in the All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas, so his Double-A debut will have to wait until the second half of the season. The 20-year-old outfielder earned the promotion to Reading after slashing .301/.349/.438 with six home runs and 27 stolen bases across 317 plate appearances with Jersey Shore.
... See More... See Less
Phillies' Justin Crawford: Promoted to Single-A
Rotowire
Crawford was promoted to Single-A Clearwater on Thursday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Crawford was selected by the Phillies with the 17th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, and he'll advance to the Single-A level after just 10 games of rookie ball. During his time with the Phillies' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate, he hit .306 with a triple, five runs, five RBI and five stolen bases.
