The Red Sox placed Early on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to left elbow inflammation.
After striking out five and blanking the Nationals through four innings in his start Tuesday, Early was lifted prior to the top of the fifth after experiencing elbow discomfort. The Red Sox are classifying Early's injury as inflammation, but he'll undergo further imaging Wednesday as the club looks to determine if there's anything more significant at play. Early won't be eligible to return until after the All-Star break, but if he avoids a prolonged shutdown from throwing, he could be ready to pitch when the Red Sox open their second-half schedule.