Is the Boston Red Sox' Outfield the Most Hard-Luck Position Group in MLB?

The entire starting outfield for the Boston Red Sox have landed on the DL in 2012, and two of the three are still out of the lineup. Playing for the Red Sox outfield makes it almost certain that a player can get hurt, but it is only because each and every outfielder seems to lay everything on the line for this squad.

The list goes on and on, from Carl Crawford to Ryan Sweeney, with all kinds of injuries that many positions typically do not have to deal with from each outfield position.

Crawford has been out with an elbow injury. Jacoby Ellsbury separated his shoulder early on in the season. Cody Ross even fractured some bones in his foot.

Sweeney missed some time with a concussion, but is now on the 15-day DL with a toe injury. Meanwhile, Scott Podsednik landed on the DL with a groin strain and Darnell McDonald missed some time with an oblique injury.

Whether it is the pressure of playing in Boston or just the dimensions of Fenway Park itself, the Red Sox outfielders seem to drop left and right, but this is soon to be on the mend.

Crawford has started a 20-day rehab stint, according to Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com. He should be back at some point in July.

Ellsbury has yet to field fly balls, but he is making steady progress, according to CSNNE.com.

Once the regulars come back from these injuries, maybe the outfield positions will finally be all set and the injury bug will leave them alone until next season.

The Red Sox lineup needs the speedsters to step up for the last half of the season and carry the momentum to a postseason berth. The Red Sox have played really well without them, but it will need the speed in the outfield to track down those fly balls that Ross and others can not get to with their lack of speed.