The one significant signing the Red Sox added to their starting rotation might miss the entire 2024 season.
Lucas Giolito has a partially torn UCL and a flexor strain in his right elbow, according to ESPN, and may not pitch at all this year.
Giolito, whom Boston signed to a two-year, $38.5 million contract, might need surgery to repair the tear, per ESPN.
“We’re obviously concerned,” Red sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday morning, according to the Boston Globe, when revealing Giolito had elbow discomfort. “Not a good day for us.”
The injury to Giolito, 29, will increase speculation about whether the Red Sox will sign a free-agent starter like Jordan Montgomery, whom the team met with recently.
Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford will be in the Red Sox’s rotation, with Garrett Whitlock aand Tanner Houck among those who were competing for the fifth starter job before Giolito’s injury.
Boston traded oft-injured left-hander Chris Sale to the Braves during the offseason for infielder Vaughn Grissom.
Giolito was one of the best pitchers in the American League with the White Sox from 2019-21, pitching to a 3.47 ERA with 526 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP in 427 ⅔ innings across those three seasons.
He had a rough 2022 season with a 4.90 ERA and had a 3.79 ERA through 21 starts last season with Chicago before they traded him to the Angels.
After pitching to a 6.89 ERA in six starts with the Angels, they waived him and he was claimed by the Guardians.
Things didn’t get better in Cleveland, where Giolito had a 7.04 ERA in six starts.
Earlier in spring training, Red Sox star Rafael Devers made pointed comments toward the front office about not adding more pitching.
“Everybody knows what we need. You know what we need. They know what we need,” Devers said through an interpreter at the team’s spring training complex.
“There is some things I can’t say out loud, but everybody in this organization knows what we need.”