Lucas Giolito Drilled by Comebacker in First Start With Padres Organization

The San Diego Padres recently made a major addition to their pitching staff, signing veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito to bolster the rotation.

Giolito had been patiently waiting on the free agency market, hoping for the right opportunity to come to him after a strong 2025 season.

San Diego has dealt with all sorts of injuries to the pitching staff this year, so signing Giolito made a lot of sense. The veteran recently made his first rehab start in the Padres organization, pitching for Single-A Lake Elsinore.

However, during the start, the veteran right-hander was drilled with a comebacker, forcing him to exit in the third inning. It was a scary moment, but Giolito was able to protect his face, just getting hit off the hand.

Lucas Giolito exits in the 3rd after this comebacker. pic.twitter.com/9msJIm99b2
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) April 26, 2026

After the game, Giolito said that he was fine after the comebacker hit him. The veteran even joked that this was a nice way for him to return to the mound after a long break over the offseason.

"It's fine, it's just a little bruised up. But it was kind of a fun return, you know, 103 [mph] at my face," Giolito said. "Just reacted and unfortunately got the wrong hand, but feels fine right now."

Update, Giolito says he's fine https://t.co/HsEU0E1edp pic.twitter.com/g7MkFsk9Ma
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) April 26, 2026

Before he was taken out of the game, Giolito did record four strikeouts across 2.2 innings of work. This was a positive sign for the Padres and Giolito, who hadn't pitched in a meaningful game since Sept. 23, 2025 while with the Boston Red Sox.

Giolito suffered an injury down the stretch of last season that forced him to miss the playoffs for Boston. The right-hander has dealt with all sorts of injuries over the last few years, including him being forced to miss the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

But when Giolito has been healthy, he has been excellent in the major leagues, and the Padres are banking on this. Last season with the Red Sox, Giolito made his return to the mound, posting an ERA of 3.41 over 26 starts.

Giolito's stuff has never been in question, but rather his ability to stay on the mound. But he is a former All-Star for a reason, and San Diego is happy to have him.

Given the injuries to Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta and others on the Padres staff, having Giolito should give this team a big boost. If he can stay healthy, the Padres should be in good shape as they try to continue making noise in the National League.

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