Posted April 11, 200619 yr BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp has a fracture on the base of his index finger on his left hand and will be sidelined for at least 10 days. Crisp's hand will be immobilized in a splint for 10 days and then reevaluated, team medical director Dr. Thomas Gill said Monday. No surgery is needed to treat the injury, sustained when he tied to steal third base Saturday in Boston's 2-1 victory at the Baltimore Orioles. "Once sufficient healing has occurred, Coco can begin batting and return to baseball activities," Gill said in a statement. The 26-year-old Crisp, a switch-hitter who throws right-handed, was acquired in January from Cleveland after Johnny Damon signed with the New York Yankees. Crisp is batting .333 (8-for-24) with a double, triple and six runs scored. Crisp was expected to be placed on the disabled list before Tuesday's game against Toronto. Willie Harris, now at Triple-A Pawtucket, was among the leading candidates to fill his roster spot. Current Red Sox players Adam Stern and Wily Mo Pena plus Harris all can play center field. "We have a lot of confidence in Adam Stern and Wily Mo Pena and the player that we're going to bring in," general manager Theo Epstein said. "Through mixing and matching, we can find a way to stay afloat and prosper." On Sunday, Stern batted leadoff in Crisp's spot and had two hits with two RBIs. Epstein referred questions about who would bat leadoff in the future to manager Terry Francona. Hand injuries are tough because they're really key when it comes to hitting.
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