Lucas Giolito Injury: Alex Cora Gives Major Update On Red Sox Starter

If the Red Sox are to win the World Series this year, they likely will need to do so without Lucas Giolito.

On Tuesday, Boston manager Alex Cora told reporters that Giolito isn’t expected to pitch at any point during the playoffs due to a right elbow injury. The update arrived a day after Cora revealed Giolito would be left off the roster for the Red Sox’s best-of-three Wild Card Series matchup with the New York Yankees.

However, the news on Giolito isn’t all bad.

When Cora first announced Giolito’s injury, he also revealed the right-hander would visit Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who performed internal-brace surgery on Giolito’s right elbow in 2024. Many feared Giolito had suffered a similarly serious injury that would put his 2026 season in jeopardy — but that might not be the case.

“It seems like it’s not as bad as we thought in the beginning, but we’re still gathering information,” Cora said on Tuesday, via Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald.

Giolito was Boston’s presumed starter for a potential Game 3 against the Yankees. Cora on Monday indicated that young lefties Kyle Harrison and Connelly Early — both of whom made the playoff roster — could fill the void, but stressed Game 3 availabilities could be impacted by who pitches in the first two contests. He leaned toward Early when asked for an update on Tuesday, though.

“We’ll see where we’re at,” Cora said. “There’s a good chance it’s Connelly, but we have to take care of the first two games and see where we’re at.”

First pitch for Tuesday’s Game 1 is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.