Red Sox’s Alex Cora Evaluates Lucas Giolito’s First Spring Outing

The Red Sox were able to see one of their biggest offseason additions in action Sunday afternoon.

Lucas Giolito started Boston’s latest spring training matchup against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. The veteran right-hander, who signed a free-agent contract with the Red Sox in early January, logged two hitless innings in which he struck out one and walked another.

After Boston’s 8-6 win, manager Alex Cora broke down what he saw from Giolito in the 29-year-old’s first game setting with his new club.

“He was good. Fastball was good. Changeup was good,” Cora told reporters, per MLB.com. “Obviously, the walk, he doesn’t want it, but he felt good before the game. I do believe where he’s at right now physically, probably three innings he could have done, but obviously we’re going to stick to the program. But it was a good first outing.”

There’s only so much you can take away from a brief spring training outing. But the large crowd at JetBlue Park got Giolito “pumped” to play in Boston, where the ninth-year pro will be leaned on after a disappointing 2023 season in which the Red Sox did not receive much from their stable of starters.