Red Sox Injury Woes Worsen as Rookie Pitcher Connelly Early Hits IL After Elbow Scare

The Boston Red Sox got swept up in a benches-clearing incident Tuesday night and then woke up Wednesday to find their roster in even rougher shape. Left-handed rookie Connelly Early, who started that ugly 8-1 loss to the Nationals, was placed on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. The team announced the move Wednesday morning, along with the activation of lefty Jovani Moran from the 15-day IL and the call-up of left-hander Alec Gamboa from Triple-A.

The timing stinks for a team already treading water. Early, 24, had carved out a surprisingly solid season for a guy who entered the year with just four career MLB starts. Through 17 starts, he’s posted a 3.44 ERA and looked like one of the more capable arms in a rotation that’s had its share of headaches. Losing him now — even for a short stint — stings a little more given how thin Boston’s pitching depth has looked.

Here’s the thing about elbow injuries for pitchers: everyone panics. And they should. Teams don’t mess around with forearm or elbow issues, especially for young arms still proving themselves. Early told reporters after Tuesday’s game he wasn’t “too concerned,” via NESN, and said the team would follow up with imaging Wednesday. But those words always feel a little hollow until the MRI comes back clean.

A Season Spinning Sideways

The Red Sox haven’t had a lot go right this year. They somehow swept the Yankees over the weekend — which bought them a few days of good buzz — and now they’re staring at a 37-47 record with the trade deadline a month away. Some fans have wondered whether Boston could pivot to being buyers. Realistically? Selling still makes way more sense.

Tuesday’s game was already a mess before Early’s elbow became the headline. The benches emptied after a heated exchange between catcher Willson Contreras and Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli — a moment that felt more like frustration boiling over than genuine bad blood. Boston lost 8-1, their offense went quiet, and now they’re down another pitcher for who knows how long.

Wednesday afternoon’s first pitch is at 1:35 PM EST. The Red Sox will try to steady the ship. But with Early shelved and the trade talks about to get loud, this week could set the tone for how the rest of their season shakes out.