Red Sox Star Hurler Reportedly Likely To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
The Boston Red Sox's offseason has been filled with disappointment and shortcomings from a leadership group that overpromised and underdelivered.
The one moderate investment Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made was to right-hander Lucas Giolito following a season in which the rotation failed to deliver enough innings for the team to succeed.
As it turns out, we might not get to see the high-priced newcomer debut at any point in 2024.
"Brutal news: Initial imaging showed Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito likely has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss the 2024 season," ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday. "Giolito, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, may need surgery to repair the right elbow damage."
It sounds likely that Giolito will be out for the year or at least miss significant time. There's a chance he can opt for an alternative to Tommy John surgery but he will be out for the long haul either way.
The 29-year-old was having a strong camp and was going to be relied upon to eat innings and post every fifth day -- he's made 94 starts over the last three seasons and is coming off an 184 1/3 inning campaign.
Instead, he'll do the exact opposite for Boston, leaving the pitching staff in really bad shape. Barring a meaningful external addition such as Jordan Montgomery or Michael Lorenzen, the Red Sox likely will have to use both Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck in the rotation.
As we've seen over the last few seasons, that duo is much more effective coming out of the bullpen.
Whitlock has not been nearly as dynamic as a starter and struggles to stay on the mound. Houck has not been able to maintain effectiveness deep into games. In other words, neither of them can give enough innings to put the team in a position to succeed.
It's not even Opening Day and the Red Sox's depth already is being tested. Boston was largely expected to finish in last place in the American League East for the third time in a row -- that feeling has intensified with the news of Giolito's injury.
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