Phillies’ Justin Crawford plays left field in Rays’ park just like his dad once did

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Carl Crawford patrolled left field for the Tampa Bay Rays for nine seasons.

The Rays moved their spring training home to Charlotte Sports Park in 2009, when Crawford was toward the end of his tenure with the team and his son Justin was 5 years old.

On Tuesday, a 21-year-old Justin was the Phillies’ starting left fielder in their 5-4 win against the Rays, in the exact same corner of the Charlotte Sports Park outfield that used to belong to his father during spring training.

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Justin called his father on Tuesday morning when he found out where he was penciled in the lineup.

“He was like, ‘Wow, man, time flies. It goes by really, really fast,’” Justin said.

Justin is primarily a center fielder, but he played left in high school and also at the 2024 MLB Futures Game. Manager Rob Thomson said it was a happy coincidence that Crawford was playing his father’s position for the Phillies’ only visit to Charlotte Sports Park this spring.

“Because he’s played center, he’s played right, now he’s playing left,” Thomson said. “I should have taken credit for that.”

Crawford finished 0-for-3 on Tuesday but scored a run. He said since he was so young, he doesn’t remember much from his father’s spring training days at this particular ballpark, but he recognized a few familiar faces. After Carl left the Rays, his career continued for six more seasons between the Red Sox and the Dodgers.

“Just coming to the ballpark with my dad at a young age on a daily basis, that’s honestly helped me know what I know now,” Crawford said. “Just picking up things, how to form a routine, and just seeing how much work has to go into it. Knowing every day is a different day, and you have to come ready to go, no matter what yesterday may be.”

Johan Rojas slotted into Tuesday’s lineup as designated hitter for the second time this spring. The center fielder has been shut down from throwing due to a shoulder injury he suffered while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Thomson said he is expected to resume throwing in about a week.

“We’re not really concerned about the shoulder. We’re just being precautionary, really,” Thomson said.

Rojas hurt his shoulder diving back to second base during the winter ball playoffs, he said Tuesday.

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“I’ll be throwing back soon,” Rojas said through a team interpreter. “I slid in second base, and I kept doing my work as routine, because it was bothering me, but not too much. So I played through it. I finished the season in winter ball with it. And then we came in and decided to stop for a while, but I’m positive that I’ll be throwing back soon.”

In the Dominican Winter League, Rojas hit .295 with a .771 OPS in 30 games for Gigantes del Cibao. He said the injury doesn’t affect his swing at all. On Tuesday, he went 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch, but he made solid contact on some balls hit in the air.

“It feels a little uncomfortable, but it’s truly gotten better,” Rojas said.