WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the second time in just a few weeks, the Red Sox are calling up a left-handed pitching prospect to make his major league debut.
Boston is summoning southpaw Connelly Early to Sacramento to start Tuesday’s game against the Athletics in place of righty Dustin May, who is headed to the injured list, according to sources. Foul Territory first reported the news on X/Twitter. A source said May’s injury is not expected to be as serious one.
Early, who has just six starts under his belt at Triple-A Worcester, joins fellow lefty Payton Tolle as another fast-tracked call-up to a depleted Red Sox rotation. The 23-year-old Virginia native was Boston’s fifth round pick out of the University of Virginia two years ago and has pitched well across two levels this season, logging a 7-2 record and 2.51 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) for Double-A Portland before being promoted to Worcester and pitching to a 2.83 ERA and striking out 36 batters in 28 ⅔ innings.
MLB Pipeline ranks Early as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s system. SoxProspects has him eighth. The Red Sox will need to make a 40-man roster move to add him.
Behind their top trio of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, the Red Sox are working to piece together their rotation on a weekly basis. May joins starters Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Tanner Houck and Patrick Sandoval — all out for the year — on the injured list, as well as depth options Richard Fitts and Cooper Criswell, who are currently sidelined with arm trouble. The Red Sox have Tolle and Early serving as their top back-end options at present; Kyle Harrison is still awaiting his club debut nearly three months after being acquired in the Rafael Devers blockbuster.
May, acquired in a three-player trade with the Dodgers just before the trade deadline, has struggled in a Red Sox uniform, allowing a 5.40 ERA in six games (five starts). The oft-injured 28-year-old was shelled in his last start on August 30 against the Pirates, then moved to the bullpen for a stretch. He last pitched three innings in relief against Cleveland last Wednesday.
Boston was expected to start May on Tuesday and then figure out a plan for Wednesday’s series finale against the A’s, in which the club’s starter remains to be determined. Early, after being scratched from his start Sunday in Worcester, was thought to be a candidate for that outing but instead will pitch Tuesday. The Red Sox could go with a bullpen game Wednesday, start Tolle or call up Harrison. Many options are on the table after Crochet helped re-set the bullpen with a seven-inning gem in Monday’s 7-0 win.
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