The Boston Red Sox received a daunting update regarding their biggest offseason pitching addition in right-hander Lucas Giolito on Monday.
After signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract with the Red Sox this past offseason with expectations of eating up innings at the high end of Boston's rotation, Giolito went down with ligament damage to his right elbow. Essentially, that means Giolito is very likely to miss the 2024 season.
"Lucas is having surgery (on Tuesday)," Red Sox manager Cora told reporters at spring training, per NESN. "The extent of it, we don't know yet. We know it's with the ligament so we'll know more tomorrow when we go in."
Cora added: "The type of surgery, we don't know yet."
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Boston underwent a train wreck collision with the injured list throughout its 2023 campaign, watching a handful of starters including Tanner Houck, Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock go down. That left Cora no choice but to call upon several bullpen arms to fill in, which didn't work. The Red Sox didn't have a sustainable rotation and sunk to the bottom of the American League East -- for the third time in four years.
That's where Giolito emerged as an ideal candidate.
The 29-year-old has a well-established reputation as one of the most durable arms in MLB, surpassing 160 innings thrown in five of his last six seasons. Giolito pitched a career-high 184 1/3 innings with a 4.88 ERA in a split campaign with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians before hitting free agency.
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Boston still has time to consider those left in free agency such as lefties Blake Snell -- last season's National League Cy Young Award winner -- and Jordan Montgomery, in a righty-dominant rotation.
Featured image via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
