- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 442,779
- Reaction score
- 44
WORCESTER — Lucas Giolito felt like a piece of him was missing last year.
After signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on Jan. 3, 2024, Giolito hurt his right elbow in spring training and underwent Tommy John surgery — shutting him down for the full season. Then, earlier this spring, Giolito landed on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
So following his second rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, the 30-year-old right-hander started to feel a bit more complete as he inches closer to his long-awaited debut with the Red Sox.
“I’m very excited,” Giolito said following the WooSox’ 5-4, walk-off win over the Columbus Clippers Wednesday night. “I’ve pitched in Fenway before as a visiting player, and it always felt very special to me. So being able to go and wear the red and white out there is going to be really, really cool.”
Giolito has been on Boston’s injured list (retroactive to March 24) with a left hamstring strain since spring training. On March 11, Giolito worked just one inning as the Red Sox starter in a Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies before departing with the injury.
Nearly a month later, Giolito tossed 3⅓ innings in his second rehab stint with Worcester. He allowed three hits, one run and three walks while striking out three across 64 pitches. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound pitcher threw 29 fastballs, 21 sliders, 12 changeups and two curveballs, and averaged 91.9 mph on his four-seam fastball while topping out at 93.2.
“It’s a weird thing, the rehab games, because I’m working on things,” Giolito said. “It’s kind of like my spring training, but at the same time, I’m trying to get those competitive juices flowing. So anytime you walk three in three innings, it’s never a good thing. So I look forward to kind of putting more things together in the next one.”
During his first rehab appearance on April 2, Giolito tossed 2⅓ innings of scoreless ball, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two across 51 pitches. He’s one of three Red Sox starting pitchers who started the season on the IL, joining Brayan Bello (right shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (right knee).
“It was just a very annoying setback at a terrible time that basically pushed my spring training to right now,” Giolito said of his hamstring strain. “So now it’s all about just getting good rhythm (and) tempo in my delivery, getting the pitch count back up there because I haven’t pitched in a long time.
“So just going to continue to progress.”
After starting two spring training games for the Red Sox last year, Giolito was shut down and underwent right elbow ulnar collateral ligament repair with internal brace. It marked his second Tommy John surgery, the first coming on Sept. 13, 2012, when he was 18.
“I feel bad,” Giolito said. “I signed here to do a job, and one of the things I was very good at for a long time was being an innings-eater type of pitcher. Always staying healthy, always taking the ball no matter how I’m feeling or how the team’s doing. It doesn't matter.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do that up to this point. So I look forward to getting out there and being able to do that again.”
The California native was selected by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. He made his big-league debut with the Nationals in 2016 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox the following season and spending the next seven years as a starter for the White Sox. Giolito made the 2019 American League All-Star team (going 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA in 29 starts that season) and threw a no-hitter for the White Sox on Aug. 25, 2020.
During the 2023 season, Giolito was traded to the Angels and then later that year was claimed off waivers by Cleveland. In 180 major league games (178 starts), Giolito is 61-62 with a 4.43 ERA along with 1,077 strikeouts over 1,013 innings.
Although Giolito is expected to make at least one more rehab start with Worcester, the right-hander is looking forward to finally pitching for Boston.
“Now that I’m so close to doing it again, I’m very, very excited,” Giolito said. “It's been a frustrating year, but I look forward to kind of breaking through and having a nice season at the end of it.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito rehab assignment Triple-A Worcester
Continue reading...
After signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on Jan. 3, 2024, Giolito hurt his right elbow in spring training and underwent Tommy John surgery — shutting him down for the full season. Then, earlier this spring, Giolito landed on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
So following his second rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, the 30-year-old right-hander started to feel a bit more complete as he inches closer to his long-awaited debut with the Red Sox.
“I’m very excited,” Giolito said following the WooSox’ 5-4, walk-off win over the Columbus Clippers Wednesday night. “I’ve pitched in Fenway before as a visiting player, and it always felt very special to me. So being able to go and wear the red and white out there is going to be really, really cool.”
You must be registered for see images
Giolito has been on Boston’s injured list (retroactive to March 24) with a left hamstring strain since spring training. On March 11, Giolito worked just one inning as the Red Sox starter in a Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies before departing with the injury.
Nearly a month later, Giolito tossed 3⅓ innings in his second rehab stint with Worcester. He allowed three hits, one run and three walks while striking out three across 64 pitches. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound pitcher threw 29 fastballs, 21 sliders, 12 changeups and two curveballs, and averaged 91.9 mph on his four-seam fastball while topping out at 93.2.
“It’s a weird thing, the rehab games, because I’m working on things,” Giolito said. “It’s kind of like my spring training, but at the same time, I’m trying to get those competitive juices flowing. So anytime you walk three in three innings, it’s never a good thing. So I look forward to kind of putting more things together in the next one.”
You must be registered for see images
During his first rehab appearance on April 2, Giolito tossed 2⅓ innings of scoreless ball, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two across 51 pitches. He’s one of three Red Sox starting pitchers who started the season on the IL, joining Brayan Bello (right shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (right knee).
“It was just a very annoying setback at a terrible time that basically pushed my spring training to right now,” Giolito said of his hamstring strain. “So now it’s all about just getting good rhythm (and) tempo in my delivery, getting the pitch count back up there because I haven’t pitched in a long time.
“So just going to continue to progress.”
You must be registered for see images
After starting two spring training games for the Red Sox last year, Giolito was shut down and underwent right elbow ulnar collateral ligament repair with internal brace. It marked his second Tommy John surgery, the first coming on Sept. 13, 2012, when he was 18.
“I feel bad,” Giolito said. “I signed here to do a job, and one of the things I was very good at for a long time was being an innings-eater type of pitcher. Always staying healthy, always taking the ball no matter how I’m feeling or how the team’s doing. It doesn't matter.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do that up to this point. So I look forward to getting out there and being able to do that again.”
You must be registered for see images
The California native was selected by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. He made his big-league debut with the Nationals in 2016 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox the following season and spending the next seven years as a starter for the White Sox. Giolito made the 2019 American League All-Star team (going 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA in 29 starts that season) and threw a no-hitter for the White Sox on Aug. 25, 2020.
During the 2023 season, Giolito was traded to the Angels and then later that year was claimed off waivers by Cleveland. In 180 major league games (178 starts), Giolito is 61-62 with a 4.43 ERA along with 1,077 strikeouts over 1,013 innings.
Although Giolito is expected to make at least one more rehab start with Worcester, the right-hander is looking forward to finally pitching for Boston.
“Now that I’m so close to doing it again, I’m very, very excited,” Giolito said. “It's been a frustrating year, but I look forward to kind of breaking through and having a nice season at the end of it.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito rehab assignment Triple-A Worcester
Continue reading...
