The Nationals are finally about to get their first real look at Connelly Early, and the timing could hardly be tighter.
Washington has mapped out the left-hander’s return after a rehab assignment that already gave him one inning with Triple-A Rochester on September 13. In that outing, Early gave up three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two. Now he’s set for another rehab appearance on September 20, and then, according to Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni on “The Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan, he’ll make his DC debut on September 26 against the New York Mets.
That leaves Washington with just two games after that, since the season ends on September 28. But with the Nationals already eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend, there’s no reason to rush the evaluation. They traded for Early on July 26 while he was on the injured list with elbow inflammation, and they’ve spent the past couple months waiting for him to get back on a mound.
Early’s season with the Red Sox was solid before the trade: a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 93 strikeouts and 34 walks over 91.2 innings. And for a Nationals rotation that has struggled lately, he should at least provide a different look.
Cade Cavalli has been excellent since facing the Red Sox on June 30, posting a 2.27 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 112 strikeouts over his last 15 games, but the rest of the group hasn’t been nearly as sharp. Jake Irvin has a 5.51 ERA in 96.1 innings, while rookie Jackson Kent has put up a 6.40 ERA in 32.1 innings.
For Boston, the other piece of the deal remains stuck in limbo. Curtis Mead is making some progress after the wrist injury that hit in his Red Sox debut, and he’ll begin hitting off a tee in the coming days. That’s a real step forward, but there’s still a decent chance he won’t get back in time to play this season.
The Red Sox could certainly use another arm, especially with Patrick Sandoval and Jake Bennett struggling, but they were dealing from strength when they moved Early. Given how long he was sidelined during the playoff chase, keeping him wouldn’t have helped much in the short term. Boston took the shot on Mead anyway, even if the injury outcome made the trade look rough in the moment.
Now Washington gets the payoff first: one last chance to see what Early can do before the year is over. Boston may have to wait until next season to get the same answer on Mead.
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