Red Sox Get Bad News on Starter's Injury Status

Giolito underwent an MRI on Wednesday and the imaging was severe enough to make this decision. Giolito signed with Boston last offseason for two years and $38.5 million but missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing UCL surgery.

He has yet to make a regular season appearance for the franchise and that highly anticipated debut is now pushed back even further.

The Red Sox have suffered significant blows to its starting pitching, with Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford dealing with injuries. Bello should return sometime in April, but Crawford’s return timeline is murky.

So, how will they stay afloat?

Boston still has ace Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck at the top of the rotation, and Walker Buehler will need to step up as the No. 3. However, Buehler has also been plagued by injuries lately, and he is not exactly the most reliable arm.

Young, unproven guys such as Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts are in line for starts now, and this will be a significant opportunity for them to solidify their place on the team. The two have combined for just over 120 innings pitched in the Majors, leaving Cora with more uncertainty.

The good news for Giolito is this is not another elbow or throwing arm issue. When healthy, he has electric stuff and can contribute to this team.

However, damaged hamstrings are notorious for creating long-term difficulties, and how this latest setback will affect Giolito remains to be seen.