The Boston Red Sox signed free agent Lucas Giolito in late December of 2023 in hopes of getting a lot of innings out of him and helping him get back to ace form.
After his first outing for the Red Sox in the Grapefruit League, Giolito told Chris Rose of "The Chris Rose Rotation" podcast that he felt good and his velocity was up with his new club. The righty only made one more appearance before he was sidelined for the rest of the season with UCL damage.
Giolito underwent the UCL brace procedure on March 13, which is said to be one step below Tommy John surgery in terms of invasiveness and recovery time. For a pitcher who was known for his durability, missing an entire season — especially his first with a new ball club — hit Giolito hard.
The pitcher admitted to feeling "guilty" about his injury coming at a bad time. Boston's starting rotation was supposed to be its weak point and Giolito was going to serve as the anchor for the starters, and maybe even a top-end talent, if he could get his career back on the right trajectory.
Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito opens up about injury, surgery and 2024 goals
An elbow ligament reconstruction is not the best way to get back on the map as an MLB pitcher. But Giolito admitted to having his full range of motion back soon after his procedure. He's no stranger to this -- he underwent Tommy John when he was 19 years old. He feels he may be able to return to the roster sooner than the usual healing protocol dictates.
While Giolito has been careful with his arm, he claimed to want to "push the envelope" of recovery time to make it back to playing baseball as soon as he can. The pitcher believes he may feel well enough to pitch in 2024, but that decision does not rest solely with him.
It's reassuring to hear that Gioltio's arm feels well enough to throw. It's hard to believe there's any chance he'll be back in the lineup in 2024, but any good news is welcome for the Red Sox lineup currently ravaged by injuries.