Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox's Lucas Giolito Clears Things Up After Alarming Rehab Start

Just don't walk six in the majors...
Jackson Roberts|
Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito tosses a pitch during a rehab start with the WooSox at Polar Park on April 25, 2025.
Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito tosses a pitch during a rehab start with the WooSox at Polar Park on April 25, 2025. | WooSox/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Boston Red Sox are getting ready to welcome back a veteran starting pitcher and a former All-Star at that. But he was raising eyebrows with his performance on Friday night.

Lucas Giolito, who has yet to throw a pitch for the Red Sox in the regular season after signing in January of 2024, made his final scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Friday. But if his performance was any indication, there's no guarantee he's ready to shut down major league lineups.

Giolito went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits. But the big concern was the fact that he walked six batters, something he's only done three times in his entire career. Five of those walks came in his first 2 1/3 innings.

However, the 30-year-old Giolito explained after the game that he was working on some mechanical changes rather than prioritizing strike-throwing early in the outing.

"The last few innings I kind of went with what was more comfortable. Early on I was trying to really hone in on some mechanical changes that led to some higher velos but the feel for the strike zone was kind of loss," Giolito said, per WEEI's Rob Bradford.

"The last few innings, just to get through it, it was like, 'OK, hone back in on the zone and use my pitches through the zone and get through it'."

Giolito, a 2021 American League All-Star who signed a two-year, $38.5 million contract with Boston, has only five months now to prove himself again before free agency. The Red Sox also have a $14 million club option for him if he throws less than 140 innings this season.

When asked if he was ready to contribute to the big-league club, which he is expected to do during the Red Sox's series next week in Toronto, Giolito said he was feeling "pretty good."

"I'm excited to get back to competing and getting those good juices flowing from that aspect. I have been looking forward to that."

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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