We know that Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello will start the first two games of the Red Sox’s best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Yankees. But who’ll start Game 3 in New York, if it comes to that?
It won’t be Lucas Giolito, who was the presumed No. 3 starter but will be left off the playoff roster due to a right-elbow injury, Boston manager Alex Cora told reporters at Yankee Stadium on Monday. Giolito, who struggled down the stretch, will visit Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who performed the internal-brace surgery on Giolito’s right elbow in 2024.
While answering a follow-up question, Cora teased “kids” who could fill Giolito’s spot in the rotation.
“We’ll go the first two games, and then we’ll decide,” Cora told reporters at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “Obviously, we’ve got some kids over there that have started lately. But first thing’s first: Crochet, Bello, and if we have to make a decision for Game 3, we’ll go from there.”
Cora likely was referring to lefties Connelly Early and Kyle Harrison, who impressed in September while making multiple starts. He likely wasn’t talking about lefty Payton Tolle, who transitioned to the bullpen over the final two weeks.
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Early, 23, posted a 2.33 ERA and 1.086 WHIP in four starts. The 24-year-old Harrison, the top acquisition in the trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, registered a 3.00 ERA and 1.583 WHIP across two starts and one relief appearance.
As Cora indicated, the Red Sox might be forced to summon Early or Harrison — or Tolle, for that matter — at some point during the first two games, which could impact their availabilities for a potential Game 3.
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But the Red Sox will cross that bridge if they ever get to it. For now, the focus is on Game 1, which is scheduled to start at 6:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Featured image via © Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
