Red Sox $38.5 Million All-Star Makes Proclamation Ahead Of Long-Awaited Boston Debut

Finally time to toe the slab

Feb 18, 2025; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) participates in media day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's rotation will finally resemble most preseason projections as of Wednesday night.

Injuries were a theme of the preseason for the Red Sox, but fortunately, no one seems to have been affected by anything too severe. Brayan Bello made his return from shoulder soreness last week, and Wednesday night at Rogers Centre, Boston will welcome back its fourth former All-Star.

Lucas Giolito, who signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox in January of 2024, is set to take the ball for the first time during the regular season in a Boston uniform. Elbow surgery cost him the entire 2024 season, then a hamstring strain suffered on his first pitch of spring training set him back to begin 2025.

Now, after a rocky rehab stint, Giolito is finally ready to prove once and for all that he can become a valuable contributor to this Red Sox team.

"I signed over here with this team for a reason and I wanted to contribute the best way I know how to, which is to take the ball and be available to throw 100-plus pitches every single start," Giolito said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.

“And I haven’t been able to do that up until this point. Now I finally have the ability and been through all this rehab stuff to get to the point to be able to do that. I’m very pleased and happy to be able to actually do my job again."

Giolito was an American League All-Star in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox. He made between 29 and 33 starts every year from 2018 to 2023, with the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Sitting and watching the entire 2024 season when he was brought in to give the Red Sox a full slate of starts ate at Giolito constantly. He is clearly itching to get on the mound and help the team make a playoff push.

“I felt like a piece of myself was missing for a while. Last year watching our games, this year watching our games,” he said. “I’m just excited to be back."

First pitch from Rogers Centre will be at 7:07 p.m. EST.

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