Oof, Red Sox Nation is taking a beating right now! They were hoping for a fresh start in 2024, and then BAM! Lucas Giolito, their big-ticket free agent pitcher, goes down with a major elbow injury before even throwing a spring training pitch. This is starting to feel like a curse.
So, what happened? Giolito reportedly has a partially torn UCL (think Tommy John surgery… ouch!) and a flexor strain to top it off. If he needs surgery, forget about him pitching in 2024. And get this: Boston is still on the hook for Giolito’s $18 million salary! Ouch.
This whole situation is a major déjà vu for Red Sox fans after watching Chris Sale suffer injury after injury. It’s like the baseball injury gods are out to get them! Talk about a rough way to start the season.
Giolito was supposed to be the Red Sox ace—the bright spot in their rotation. He was one of the few major signings they made all offseason, and now that decision looks seriously questionable. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially considering some of Giolito’s recent struggles. He even made dubious history in 2023 by giving up eight runs in a game for three different teams! Maybe that should have been a red flag.
To make matters worse, they also signed reliever Liam Hendriks, who is already facing season-ending Tommy John surgery. Jeez, the Red Sox can’t catch a break!
Bottom line: this is a major setback for a team that desperately needed some good news. The question now is whether they’ll try and desperately sign a replacement or roll with what they’ve got, which is looking pretty bleak after this latest blow. Fingers crossed for some sort of miracle because Red Sox fans could really use a win right now.