The Boston Red Sox will begin the season without another key member of their rotation. Manager Alex Cora announced Thursday that Right-hander Lucas Giolito has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a low-grade hamstring strain. Giolito exited Tuesday’s start with hamstring tightness, and an MRI later confirmed the injury.
“We’re going to be tested right away,” Cora told the Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams about the team’s rotation depth.
Giolito’s injury adds to an already depleted staff, as Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) are also sidelined.
Lucas Giolito’s Setback Appears Minor
The Red Sox can take some solace in the fact that Giolito’s injury isn’t that serious. He told WEEI’s Rob Bradford that he felt healthy after throwing on Thursday.
“If I were in charge, I would like to throw a bullpen tomorrow,” Giolito said. “I don’t know if they want me to do that.”
Giolito, who missed all of 2024 following an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow, signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with Boston last offseason but has yet to make a regular-season start for the team.
Despite the injuries, Giolito struggled across the 2022 and 2023 seasons despite staying healthy. In 2022, he posted an 11-9 record with a 4.49 ERA (81 ERA+) over 30 starts for the Chicago White Sox. The following year, he went 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 21 starts before the White Sox traded him to the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the deadline. His time in Anaheim was rough, as he went 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts before being placed on waivers. He finished the season with the Cleveland Guardians, where he struggled again, going 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA.
With three starters unavailable, Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, and Walker Buehler will anchor the rotation. Meanwhile Quinn Priester, Richard Fitts, Cooper Criswell, and Josh Winckowski are among the candidates to fill the remaining spots.
Main Photo: © Chris Tilley-Imagn Images
