Top prospect Crawford has knee surgery, expected to be ready by spring

J.P. Crawford is expected to be ready for Spring Training following a small surgery on his left kneee (Frank Klose/Philliedelphia)

By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor  

Philadelphia Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford had surgery this week in order to remove a loose body from his knee. 

J.P. Crawford had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on left knee to remove loose body. Will rest 4 weeks. Expected to be ready by spring.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 16, 2016

Crawford, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, split the 2016 season between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a combined .250 with 19 doubles, a triple, seven homers, 43 RBIs, 62 runs, 80 strikeouts and 72 walks. While the highly-touted short stop struggled offensively during his time in Lehigh Valley, he still posted a .328 on-base percentage to go along with his less than ideal batting average of .244. Crawford hit .189 in 20 games during the month of August and .212 in the second half.

With Freddy Galvis providing the Phillies with strong defense and some offensive pop, Crawford's arrival time in the big leagues is yet to be determined and will not be rushed. He's almost certainly going to start the 2017 season at Triple-A.