Lucas Giolito finally will make his season debut on Wednesday night in a bid to help the Boston Red Sox clinch their three-game series against the host Toronto Blue Jays.
The Red Sox signed the 30-year-old right-hander before the 2024 season to bolster their rotation.
In his first spring training with Boston, however, Giolito developed an elbow injury that required surgery that ended his season.
Giolito sustained a hamstring injury during spring training this year, and he opened the season on the injured list. He has been deemed ready to pitch on Wednesday after completing a rehabilitation assignment.
“It felt like a piece of myself was missing for a while last year, watching our games; this year, watching our games,” he said Tuesday before the Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 10-2 in the series opener.
“I signed with this team for a reason. I wanted to contribute the best way I know how to, which is to take the ball and be available to throw 100-plus pitches every start.”
Giolito’s starts will be closely monitored, with the Red Sox planning to exercise patience.
“To be honest with you, we don’t know what’s going to happen (Wednesday),” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “The cool thing is he is going to be on a big-league field if everything goes well. And we will work with him to help him to be successful.”
Giolito is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto.
The Blue Jays had not named a starting pitcher for Wednesday but are expected to send out a parade of relievers. It did not help the bullpen situation after Bowden Francis allowed seven runs — including five homers — and lasted only three innings in his start on Tuesday.
The Red Sox will attempt to avenge losing three of four games at home to the Blue Jays from April 7-10.
The fortunes of the teams have changed recently. Boston has won three games in a row and Toronto has lost eight of nine.
Wilyer Abreu hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox on Tuesday and Jarren Duran, Alex Bregman, Kristian Campbell and Rafael Devers added solo shots.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer for Toronto. The Blue Jays have only 16 home runs this season, second fewest in the majors. They have allowed the most homers (42)l.
A lack of scoring continued to be a problem for the Blue Jays, who had only four hits on Tuesday.
“I think everyone wants to be the one who stops it, you know what I mean?” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “You have to continue to pull for one another. The work is good. The prep is good. The attitude is good.”
Toronto did get a spectacular return from shoulder surgery by center fielder Daulton Varsho on Tuesday. He celebrated his season debut with a stunning catch in the fourth inning on Duran’s fly to the warning track. Varsho tripped, rolled, and reached up to make a back-handed catch.
“I just stuck my glove out and somehow it went in,” Varsho said.
Toronto right-hander Casey Lawrence, recently claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Toronto optioned right-hander Paxton Schultz and infielder Will Wagner to Triple-A Buffalo.
–Field Level Media
