Connelly Early was removed from Tuesday’s start against the Nationals with left elbow discomfort.

Not good. Early struck out five over four shutout innings before leaving the contest after just 61 pitches. The hope for the Red Sox, and fantasy managers, is that the decision was out of an abundance of caution. The 24-year-old southpaw will undergo further evaluation, and likely imaging as well, to determine the severity of the issue. It certainly sounds like a trip to the injured list is in play and he’s in jeopardy of missing his next start against the Cubs at Fenway Park on Tuesday. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point later this week.