Red Sox Can Finally Breathe Sigh of Relief for Connelly Early

In a season full of negative injury updates, the Boston Red Sox finally got a positive one on Friday.

Red Sox starter Connelly Early is currently on the Injured List with what the club called "left elbow inflammation." When the Red Sox announced that Early was landing on the Injured List, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy also noted that Early "fought" to not go on the shelf but the Red Sox made the call to give him time to rest and get back to where he was at. He also noted that Early was starting to feel better already at that time.

Then, it was announced that Early was going to be seeking a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, which got the fanbase's attention and certainly made people nervous that the injury could be worse than initially expected. One thing that added to that fact is that Meister's clinical focus includes "arthroscopy and reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow, and knee." So, there were some nerves there.

Fortunately, that isn't the case. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported on Friday that the second opinion "confirmed the diagnosis of posterior elbow inflammation/irritation" and nothing worse.

The Red Sox Got Some Good News

Jun 30, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Starter Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Connelly Early’s visit to Dr. Keith Meister confirmed the diagnosis of posterior elbow inflammation/irritation and nothing more serious, per source," Cotillo wrote. "With elbows, always a level of concern. But that’s good news for Early and the Red Sox."

As Cotillo noted, any time there is an issue with an elbow, it's concerning. In this case, this is good news, though. On July 1, Tracy had noted that Early was dealing with posterior elbow inflammation and called it "good news," in comparison to other injuries it could've been. This second opinion confirmed that.

So, with that being said, when could we see Early back on the mound? He was placed on the 15-Day Injured List on July 1, meaning the earliest he could be activated is July 17. Early said on June 30 that he was "not too concerned" about the injury and then Tracy noted that he fought to not land on the Injured List, so it would seem that this isn't some sort of long-term ailment. Or, at least, that would be the hope.

The Red Sox certainly need him back. Boston has three more games before the All-Star break. Then, after the All-Star break, the Red Sox will return with a doubleheader on July 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Then, the Red Sox will face off against the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays in three-game series apiece. Hopefully, Early can return during that stretch of AL East showdowns. He'll at least be eligible, too.

At the end of the day, this is a positive update about the young lefty. Now, we wait to see when he actually toes the rubber again.

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