Early Returns in Rehab Start | Washington Nationals News

**Corey** (0:00)
On September 13th, Connelly Early, the former Red Sox pitcher, is making his way back to the mound for Double-A Harrisburg this Sunday. This marks his first official rehab start after an elbow injury put him on the sidelines. He's slated to throw between 40 and 50 pitches, a controlled outing after a 30-pitch session earlier in the week.
This move comes seven weeks after the Nationals acquired the 24-year-old in a trade that still has people talking in Boston. The deal for infielder Curtis Mead hasn't exactly paid off for either side yet, making Early's return a point of interest. Early himself expressed some surprise at the trade, packing up his life and heading to a new organization. However, he's excited about the opportunity. Nationals president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, who drafted Early back in Boston, is high on the lefty calling him a stud and a great acquisition.
The Nationals are taking a cautious approach with Early. After this outing, he might head to Triple-A Rochester for more rehab appearances. The hope is to get him back to the big leagues before the season wraps up, building on his pre-injury, 344ERA.
Boston, meanwhile, hasn't exactly missed a beat. They acquired Jake Bennett in a separate deal, and he's been pitching well for them. The Trafer Mead hasn't panned out so far, as he broke his wrist early on, so it's still early days for both sides to truly gauge the outcome of. That deal. That wraps Washington Nationals News Today, brought to you with AI. I'm Corey with the story.