"Three days after Carl Crawford underwent surgery on his left wrist, likely causing him to miss Opening Day, the question remains: Could the left fielder have had the procedure sooner?

Not likely, according to Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington.

Cherington said Crawford's wrist was "asymptomatic" when the season ended, so there was no reason for the Sox' medical staff to recommend surgery. It wasn't until Crawford resumed hitting two weeks ago that he felt more discomfort in his wrist."