Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early ties franchise record with stellar MLB debut
The Boston Red Sox may have just discovered their postseason X-factor. On Tuesday night at Fenway Park, 23-year-old Connelly Early delivered a historic MLB debut, dominating the Athletics and tying the Red Sox franchise record with 11 strikeouts across five scoreless innings in a 6-0 shutout win in West Sacramento.
Making his debut under the lights, Early carved through the Athletics lineup with a lethal three-pitch mix. His fastball sat in the mid-90s, and his changeup became the primary put away pitch, accounting for seven of his strikeouts. According to The Boston Globe’s Tim Healy, the outing officially stamped the southpaw's name into the team’s record books.
“Connelly Early has tied Don Aase for the Red Sox record for strikeouts in his major league debut: 11.”
The Red Sox last saw a 10-strikeout debut in 2007 with Daisuke Matsuzaka, but Early’s performance surpassed that mark and set a new MLB strikeout record — becoming the first pitcher in league history to record 11 strikeouts in five innings or fewer during a debut.
The victory was Boston’s 81st win of the season and moved the team into a tie for the top wild card slot. More importantly, it gave the rotation a major boost following recent struggles and injuries, particularly with Dustin May on the injured list and younger arms like Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts still adjusting to big-league roles. With just 16 games remaining, the Red Sox pitching staff will be tested, especially in upcoming series against playoff-caliber opponents, but Early’s dominance in his debut provides much-needed optimism for the stretch run.
In 2025, Early had posted a 2.75 ERA and 145 strikeouts in the minors, ranking as the team’s No. 6 prospect. Now, the narrative around the left-handed pitcher may extend into October if the club continues its playoff push. Whether as a starter or long relief arm, Early may be the piece Boston didn’t know it needed—until now.
Oilers Cleared in Evander Kane LTIR Investigation
The NHL has closed its investigation into the Edmonton Oilers' usage of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and found no wrongdoing, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters Tuesday. As a result, the Oilers will not receive any punishment, either retroactive or for the upcoming season.
The investigation centered on Edmonton's handling of forward Evander Kane, who did not play at all during the regular season but returned for Game 2 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. He then scored six goals and 12 points in 21 playoff games while averaging 16:29 of ice time to help the Oilers reach their second-straight Stanley Cup Final, where they once again lost to the Florida Panthers.
Kane being on LTIR took his $5.125 million cap hit off the Oilers' books, which helped them acquire defenseman Jake Walman and forward Trent Frederic at the trade deadline. The Oilers were far from the first team to use this loophole to add players at the deadline, but for unknown reasons, the league decided to look into their usage of it more closely.
The league is set to close this loophole with the new CBA, which won't fully go into effect until the 2026-27 season, but some changes are already going into effect this season.
Starting this season, teams will be retired to ice a cap-compliant lineup for each playoff game, whereas the salary cap previously ceased to take effect once the postseason rolled around. Teams such as the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have iced lineups far above the cap in previous years, though not without significant controversy.
Teams will also receive less LTIR relief for injured players, now capping out at around $3.8 million for one player instead of their full cap hit. This has already had major ramifications around the league, most recently forcing the Montreal Canadiens to trade the contract of legendary goaltender Carey Price after previously having his entire $10.5 million cap hit off the books for the past few years.
The Oilers traded Kane, 34, to the Vancouver Canucks this offseason in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. The trade was mostly to clear his salary with major extensions due over the next year and change.
Kane scored 62 goals and 111 points in 162 regular season games during his time in Edmonton, plus 26 goals and 42 points in 68 postseason games.
