DETROIT—Carl Crawford’s chances of making the Division Series seem to be improving by the day.

Crawford hit off pitching this afternoon for the first time since injuring a tendon in his right hand Aug. 9, taking a couple of rounds of swings on deliveries from coach Tim Bogar on the field at Comerica Park. Once Crawford settled in, he began to drive the ball, taking a couple over the fence in right-center, and the general consensus was he didn’t exhibit any signs of discomfort.

“He looked good, there was no hesitation,” said Joe Maddon. “I didn’t see any flinching, I didn’t see him favor it one time. It looked absolutely normal.”

Crawford didn’t know why everyone seemed so surprised about that, since he has been begging for a chance to take his hacks for several days now.

“I’ve been swinging for a while – I knew it wasn’t going to hurt,” said Crawford. “They were more worried than me. I know how my hand feels and it’s fine.”

He’ll go through the same routine again before tomorrow’s game, with the Rays doing their best to gauge how much residual soreness he might be feeling. If he passes that test, it looks like he could end up on the roster for the first round—something even Crawford himself had declared all but a lost cause a few days ago.

“This is one of those things we did not expect,” said Maddon. “Everything I had been told up to this point indicated he would not be ready, so this would be a pleasant surprise.”