Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito ready to put the 'ups-and-downs' from last season behind him
Lucas Giolito’s first season with the Red Sox never truly got off the ground. The right-hander tore a ligament in his throwing arm and underwent surgery, subsequently missing the entire season.
Over the last 10 months, Giolito has been rehabbing and working towards getting ready for the 2025 season.
“Last year definitely had its ups and downs, challenges mentally and emotionally,” said Giolito at Fenway Fest. “Being away from the game like that was super tough, but it gave me that motivation to put the work in and do everything I can to put myself in the best position for success this year. Putting this uniform on and stepping on the mound at Fenway for the first time is going to be a special moment.”
The veteran right-hander has already thrown four bullpens this winter, including one earlier this week at an indoor facility at Boston College. With spring training on the horizon, Giolito is staying firm with being a “full go” for camp.
“The progression with my rehab at this point pretty much has me right in line with where I would be as a healthy player. On Jan. 11, I would normally be about four bullpens deep, so that’s right where we’re at. It’s good.”
Giolito recently poured cold water on the idea he wouldn’t be ready for camp and questioned where the information was coming from.
"I find it funny when I see this stuff online saying that I will be coming back in June,” said Giolito on the “Baseball Isn't Boring” podcast in December. “I don’t know where that came from. I have no idea. I asked a lot of people. No one really knows. At this point, it’s like, ‘Alright, cool. That’s fine. Whatever people want to think.’ Everything is going great. I look forward to a full year."
Prior to getting hurt last spring, Giolito told reporters that he made some adjustments to his pitching repertoire, but his elbow injury prevented him from seeing if they would work for him on the mound.
“We were getting really good work done (last spring training),” he said. “We shifted the grip of my slider to get the shape and the profile in the right area to add more velocity. We were working on the changeup and getting that back to the place it needs to be. As soon as I signed, I was super excited to work with (pitching coach Andrew Bailey), then it kind of got put on hold for the year while I was in the training room. To get back and be in constant communication with him, I’m excited to work with him.”
As the Red Sox head into the spring, they’ve thought about deploying a six-man rotation to begin the season. Providing everyone remains healthy, Boston will embark on the regular season with a rotation that’ll feature Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Giolito.
“I think we have had some conversations,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “[Manager] Alex [Cora], [pitching coach Andrew Bailey], and we've batted around some ideas. I think we'll need to get to spring training, see how everyone reports, and make a decision from there.”
Giolito isn’t sold on the idea of adopting a six-man rotation at any point next season.
“I don’t love six-man rotations,” Giolito said to Rob Bradford on the "Baseball Isn’t Boring" podcast. “I feel like when I’m in a good groove of that four-day rest period, that feels right for me personally. If a team, whether it’d be the Red Sox or any other team, were to be like, OK, we’re doing a six-man rotation, I’m not gonna be holding a picket sign. … If it benefits the team, if they see that as the best way to go, I get it.”
