The Boston Red Sox aren't going to have Connelly Early on the mound for at least the next two weeks after being placed on the Injured List on Tuesday due to left elbow inflammation. Fortunately, the All-Star break is approaching quickly and the Red Sox will get a much-needed rest. But, there is still time left before that arrives. The Red Sox will play their last game before the All-Star break on July 12 against the New York Mets. Then, Boston will have a few days off before returning to action on July 17.Hopefully, Early just ends up missing the 15-day minimum. Even if that happens, the Red Sox are going to have to fill in for Early for at least one or two starts. Who could be an option? Well, the two guys that make the most sense are either righty Brayan Bello down in Triple-A or lefty Patrick Sandoval, who is very close to getting activated off the Injured List. When it comes to Bello, he doesn't seem like the most likely option of the two. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy didn't rule him out, but also didn't make it sound like the righty is coming back up yet, as transcribed by MLB.com's Ian Browne. Who Will Replace Connelly Early?Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect"I think at the moment, it's about him continuing to take down starts, keep attacking the offspeed,” Tracy said. “And they're moving along nicely with him. For right now that's the case. But he's not out of play by any means. It’s not like, ‘Oh, he's not going to be here again.’ There's all kinds of things you can do with the rotation leading into the break. So we're still talking about Brayan, but right now he's taking on that start today and we're making progress there.”Bello has made three starts down in Triple-A so far and has a 3.95 ERA to show for it. He'll make his fourth start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday. When it comes to Sandoval, he hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024, but his rehab assignment is just about to expire. Sandoval is expected to make his final rehab start over the weekend and then will have to be activated with his 30-day rehab clock expiring. Since June 5, he has made five rehab starts and allowed four earned runs in 13 1/3 innings pitched (2.70 ERA). It has been reported that the expectation is that scouts around the league will be watching Sandoval's final rehab start closely, just in case Boston makes him available for a trade. The most obvious option would be simply to slide Sandoval into the rotation. First and foremost, he's a lefty like Early. But more importantly, if there's even a chance that he could get traded this summer, he's going to need to get an opportunity to show clubs around the league what he can do in the majors after such a long lay-off. This would be the easiest way to do so without having to make another change. So, while these two are the options to watch, Sandoval should be the easy answer. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow