The Boston Red Sox are navigating several injuries to their starting rotation early in the regular season.
Brayan Bello is set to make his season debut on Tuesday after being placed on the 15-day injured list during spring training due to a right shoulder strain. Richard Fitts remains out with a pectoral strain, and Kutter Crawford is sidelined by right patellar tendinopathy.
Lucas Giolito, who strained his left hamstring on the first pitch of spring training, also began the season on the IL. He’s since made two rehab starts each for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. On Sunday, he pitched five innings for Portland, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out four.
The 30-year-old signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with Boston during the 2023 offseason but missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing UCL surgery with internal brace repair. Now, Giolito says he’s ready to pitch for the Red Sox after a long recovery.
“I feel ready to go,” Giolito told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Hitting the five-inning mark was a good step, and I’m ready to contribute however I can.” He threw 47 of his 65 pitches for strikes in his latest outing.
Manager Alex Cora told Cotillo that the team hasn’t decided if Giolito will need another rehab appearance or will be activated. “We’ll meet,” Cora said. “I just spoke to him. He felt great, threw strikes, and is in a good physical spot. We’ll see if he needs one more or if he rejoins us.”
Giolito previously finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2019 and seventh in 2020 while with the White Sox. In 2023, he led the American League in starts (33) and home runs allowed (41). That July, the White Sox traded him to the Angels, and the Guardians later claimed him off waivers after he posted a 6.89 ERA and surrendered 10 homers in six starts.
Be the first to comment