Giolito (elbow) expected to miss entire postseason
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NEW YORK -- After a day of information-gathering, the Red Sox believe that Lucas Giolito’s elbow injury, which kept him off the AL Wild Card Series roster against the Yankees, isn’t major.
That said, the current expectation is that he will miss the entire postseason.
“Talking to [trainer Brandon Henry], it seems like it's not as bad as we thought in the beginning, but we’re still gathering information,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Hopefully it's just rest. But obviously, it doesn't seem like he's going to be able to pitch in October.”
While getting through a best-of-three series without Giolito, one of the team’s top three starters this season, is a challenge, losing him in potential subsequent rounds is even more daunting.
“Yeah, I mean, it's tough,” said Cora. “He was one of the best we had. He threw the ball extremely well. It makes me wonder how banged up he was lately. Especially with the velo and command, it seems like he wasn't on point for a while there, but we’ve got other guys that are capable -- and now we’ve just got to continue.”
Cora acknowledged that lefty Connelly Early, Boston’s No. 6 prospect, is the most likely candidate to start a potential Game 3. In his first four career starts after his callup earlier this month, Early posted a 2.33 ERA.
“There's a good chance it’s Connelly,” said Cora. “But we have to take care of the first two games and we'll see where we are at.”
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On Monday, Giolito went to Birmingham, Ala., to visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas.
The 31-year-old Giolito, who missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing right UCL surgery that March, has been one of the best comeback stories for the season for the Red Sox.
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In 26 starts covering 145 innings, Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA, striking out 121 and posting a 1.29 WHIP.
Giolito joined the Red Sox on a two-year, $38.5 million deal prior to the 2024 campaign. His contract also included a $14 million club option for 2026 that turned into a $19 million mutual option when he reached 140 innings in 2025.
The Red Sox have dealt with several key injuries already this season, including losing Alex Bregman for seven weeks due between May and July to a severe right quad strain in addition to the left oblique strain that still has star rookie Roman Anthony out indefinitely.
“Just another obstacle right in our journey,” said Cora. “But here we are, and we’ve got to go.”