FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito will undergo right elbow surgery on Tuesday, potentially ending his first season with the team before it even begins.
Manager Alex Cora confirmed the development to reporters on Monday. The decision comes after Giolito traveled to Alabama last week to get a second opinion from Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas.
“The extent of it, we don’t know yet,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora was quoted as saying by 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, who signed a $38.5 million, two-year deal with the Red Sox, made two starts in spring training. He tossed a pair of scoreless innings in his first outing before reporting discomfort in the elbow after getting tagged for four runs and three walks in 2 1/3 innings against Minnesota on March 1.
This will be the second major right-elbow surgery for the 29-year-old Giolito. The right-hander had Tommy John surgery on Aug. 31, 2012, less that two months after Washington made him the top overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft.
Giolito reached the majors in 2016 with Washington. He was an All-Star in 2019 while pitching for the Chicago White Sox and has been reliable during his big-league career, throwing at least 160 innings in five of the last six seasons.