It took nearly a year and a half, but the Boston Red Sox are finally about to see Lucas Giolito in action. Manager Alex Cora confirmed to reporters, including the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, that Giolito will be activated from the 15-day injured list and will start Wednesday in Toronto against the Blue Jays.
Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with Boston back in January 2024, with some complicated wrinkles baked into the agreement. As Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors explains, “There is also a conditional option that triggered when Giolito declined to opt out, as the Red Sox now hold a $14MM club option on Giolito’s services for 2026.” If Giolito hits 140 innings this year, that club option could shift to a $19 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout—still on the table even after his delayed start.
The idea upon his signing was simple: Giolito would bet on himself, dominate for a year, and hit free agency again with his value fully rebuilt. Polishuk writes the contract was “something of a bet-on-yourself type of pillow contract,” but things unraveled fast. A partial UCL tear and flexor tendon strain wiped out Giolito’s 2024 season before it even started, though an internal brace procedure allowed him to avoid Tommy John surgery. A minor hamstring strain this spring delayed him again, but the bigger news is that Giolito is finally healthy.
Over five rehab starts in the minors, Giolito posted a 5.19 ERA across 17 1/3 innings — not dominant numbers, but Polishuk emphasizes “the fact that Giolito is feeling healthy and ready to re-launch his big league career” is the real win for Boston.
His timing couldn’t be better. The Red Sox pitching staff has been battered and inconsistent, ranking 17th in ERA (4.06), 17th in WHIP (1.33), and 23rd in opponent batting average (.251) as of April 26. With Brayan Bello back in the fold and Giolito now joining Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Tanner Houck in the rotation, Boston is finally starting to look like a team that can stabilize its pitching — and maybe make a real second-half push.
Sean Newcomb will likely shift to a bullpen or Triple-A role with the rotation firming up. Kutter Crawford and Richard Fitts remain sidelined, but the cavalry could be arriving just in time.
