Lucas Giolito finally ready to pitch for the Red Sox - The Boston Globe (2025)

The Sox were extra cautious in spring training this season, waiting until March 11 for Giolito to make his first start. He strained his left hamstring on the first pitch and lasted only one inning.

That led to Giolito opening the season on the injured list then making five minor league rehabilitation starts.

They didn’t go well. He was 0-2 with a 5.19 earned run average over 17⅓ innings and put 31 batters on base via hit or walk, while striking out 17.

In his latest start, for Triple A Worcester on Friday, Giolito walked an alarming six over 4⅔ innings and gave up three runs. He threw only 47 of 85 pitches for strikes.

The one positive was that Giolito retired the last six batters he faced.

“Obviously we saw the line. But he’s healthy and he’s ready,” Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday. “The plan is for him to be with us in Toronto. Most likely [Wednesday].”

Teams generally don’t focus on the results in rehab games. But Giolito’s lack of command was troubling.

“You have different opinions from a lot of people in the room,” Cora said. “From my end, if he’s healthy and he feels ready, we’ve got to go, right?

“I think there’s something about this [major league] environment that probably helps people out.”

Giolito was 8-15 with a 4.88 earned run average over 33 starts in 2023. He opened the season with the White Sox, was traded to the Angels in July, then claimed off waivers by the Guardians at the end of August.

The Sox then signed Giolito to a two-year, $37 million contract that included a team option for 2026. At the time, the deal was viewed as the Red Sox casting a worthwhile bet on a pitcher with a solid career track record.

Now the Sox have five months to extract some value out of the contract. They hold a $14 million option on Giolito for 2026. That becomes a mutual option if Giolito pitches 140 innings.

“We do believe physically he’s ready,” Cora said. “Now it’s about performing at the big-league level.”

Luis Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Sox in a 5-4 loss in the first game of a doubleheader.

The 24-year-old rookie righthander has appeared in 11 games going back to last season and has not allowed a run over 13 innings.

Guerrero has given up seven hits and struck out 12 with two walks.

Connor Wong could start a rehab assignment with Triple A Worcester on Sunday. He has been out since April 8 with a fractured left little finger … Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a walk in Game 1, ending an 11-game hitting streak … With the Red Sox in town, the Guardians had a moment of silence for Luis Tiant, who died in October. Tiant started his major league career with Cleveland in 1964 and was 75-64 with a 2.84 ERA over six seasons. After being traded to the Twins before the 1970 season, Tiant joined the Red Sox as a free agent in 1971 and was in Boston for eight seasons.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.