May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox hat during warmups prior the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Lucas Giolito Won’t Be Only Red Sox Starter Out Vs. Yankees

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox announced an unfortunate update on Monday with the club's Wild Card series beginning against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

On Monday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Lucas Giolito will not be on the roster for the Wild Card round due to an elbow issue.

"Lucas is not going to be on the roster,” Cora said. “He has been battling with his elbow the last few days. Today, he went to see Dr. (Jeffrey) Dugas. Hopefully, it’s nothing major, but he won’t be ready for this one."

As the regular season winded down, pitching injuries were a big talking point for Boston. Giolito wasn't talked about at all -- outside from velocity dips down the stretch. The club has been dealing with injuries elsewhere, including Dustin May, Jordan Hicks, and Brennan Bernardino among other hurlers.

Although there has been some progress on the injury front, MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared on Monday that May also won't be good to go for the Wild Card round.

The Boston Red Sox are missing some pitching right now

"Dustin May is not here. He’s in Fort Myers. So he will not be on the WC roster," Smith said. "The young starters who threw this week - (Connelly Early), (Kyle Harrison) - are candidates for that Game 3 start. Wednesday’s starter depends, too, on if Cora uses them out of the bullpen in the first two games."

May was acquired this summer ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline to secure the back of the Red Sox's starting rotation. But, he hasn't pitched in a big league game since Sept. 3rd. On Sept. 25th, Smith shared that May was scheduled for a bullpen the 26th.

"Dustin May will throw another live BP tomorrow," Smith said.

Clearly, he's no ready to roll yet for Boston, though. With Giolito now set to miss the Wild Card round, that just heightens the pitching concerns for the organization. Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello will get the ball for games No. 1 and No. 2. Hopefully, Boston can win both so it doesn't have to worry about a third game.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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