It was assumed that Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito would need surgery.
Following his team’s spring training match against Pittsburgh, Boston manager Alex Cora declared on Monday that Giolito will have surgery on his right throwing elbow on Tuesday.
However, it’s still unknown how serious Giolito’s injury is. It’s not appropriate for this season in either case. Giolito will require brace surgery or full Tommy John surgery, which might jeopardize his availability for the start of 2025. If the latter happens, it might result in a speedier return, but it would still take months before throwing again.
All of this suggests that Giolito will have a disappointing season. Last week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed that the recently signed pitcher had a flexor tendon strain in addition to a partial tear in his UCL. The Red Sox are not overly surprised by all of this; Cora stated last week that the team’s announcement that Giolito would be sidelined due to an elbow ailment didn’t look good.
Giolito’s two-year contract with the Red Sox is currently in its first season. In the offseason, Boston acquired the 29-year-old with the expectation that he would play an innings-eating role, as he has throughout his career. Giolito struck out 204 batters in 184 1/3 innings pitched during the previous season. Giolito is expected to exercise the $19 million player option in his contract, which is set to expire in 2025. He’ll most likely miss a year or more if he needs Tommy John, which makes the option’s financial stability even more alluring.