Lucas Giolito to undergo right elbow surgery, potentially ending his debut season with Red Sox
Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5 million with the Red Sox over the winter
Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito will undergo right elbow surgery Tuesday, the team announced, which could force him to miss the entire 2024 season.
Giolito flew to Alabama last week to get a second opinion after feeling discomfort in the elbow during a March 1 start.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week that Giolito underwent a test that showed he has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and flexor strain. Tuesday's operation could require a brace procedure or potentially Tommy John surgery, depending on the extent of the UCL injury.
"The extent of it, we don't know yet," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said via MLB.com. "We know it's with the ligament. So we'll know more tomorrow when they go in. The type of surgery, we don't know yet."
Giolito, 29, signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox over the winter. In 2023, he finished with a 4.88 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 184 1/3 innings and 33 starts for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.
Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2012, less than two months after he was a first-round pick by the Washington Nationals in the MLB Draft.
