Alex Cora Gives Encouraging Update On Injured Red Sox Starting Pitcher
Lucas Giolito still has yet to make a regular-season start for the Boston Red Sox since signing with the franchise in January 2024.
But that could change in the near future.
Prior to Saturday night’s matchup with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, Red Sox manager Alex Cora issued a promising update on the veteran right-hander, who began the season on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 24, due to a left hamstring strain.
“Alex Cora says Lucas Giolito threw yesterday and that his velo was up. Hope is for him to make a start for the WooSox in Jacksonville this coming week,” the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo posted on X.
That’s certainly good news for Giolito. He made one spring training appearance on March 11, but was removed following an inning of work due to hamstring tightness.
The Red Sox took a cautious approach with Giolito even though he said he felt fine following his lone outing in exhibition play. The 30-year-old also missed all of last season due to an internal bracing procedure in his right elbow.
“Yeah obviously it’s frustrating, (but) it’s not my decision,” Giolito told reporters in mid-March after the hamstring strain, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “I went out and played catch today. Usually I don’t throw on my Day 1, so I didn’t throw yesterday. We were testing it and whatnot, and then went out and threw today and felt 100% fine, completely asymptomatic. I was actually surprised at how good I felt.
“I mean as far as like — if I were in charge, I’d be like ‘OK let’s keep going and pitching,’ I don’t know what the return to play looks like. I’m just going to keep taking it day by day and do what they tell me to do and that’s it.”
It’s expected that Giolito will make at minimum a couple of starts with Triple-A Worcester since The Boston Globe reported Brayan Bello, who started the season on the IL like Giolito, will get at least two starts at that level, including one Tuesday.
Whenever Giolito does get on the mound for the Red Sox, it will be his first appearance in a big-league game since Oct. 1, 2023.