Tuesday's spring training game at JetBlue Park was supposed to be an exciting one for Boston Red Sox fans because Lucas Giolito was set to make his spring training debut. The right-hander missed what was supposed to be his debut season in Boston due to an elbow injury, so Red Sox fans were eager to see how he would fare against a Philadelphia Phillies lineup that featured a decent amount of regulars.
Unfortunately, the results were less than inspiring. Giolito walked a pair and allowed two runs in his first inning of work and then did not return to pitch a second frame. The right-hander had suffered a hamstring injury on the first pitch he threw and did not feel well enough to go back for a second inning.
Opening Day is just a few weeks away, so Giolito dealing with this injury while also having just one inning of work this spring is less than ideal. There's certainly a chance that he will begin the year on the IL, which would throw things out of whack in a big way for Boston.
If that worst-case scenario does occur, here's what Boston's rotation might look like.
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Lucas Giolito could force Red Sox to roll out unrecognizable rotation
Rotation Order | Pitcher |
|---|---|
1 | Garrett Crochet |
2 | Tanner Houck |
3 | Walker Buehler |
4 | Quinn Priester |
5 | Richard Fitts |
The top three of this rotation without Giolito are splendid. Garrett Crochet could very easily end up winning the AL Cy Young award after the Red Sox acquired him, Tanner Houck was an All-Star in 2024, and Walker Buehler has tremendous upside if healthy. Giolito figures to be the team's fourth starter when healthy.
Part of why his injury (if he has to miss time) stings so much is because the Red Sox are already dealing with injuries on the pitching front. Kutter Crawford has been battling a knee injury that bothered him last season - he won't make the Opening Day roster as a result. Brayan Bello dealt with a bout of shoulder soreness at the beginning of spring training, causing him to get a late start to throwing. That injury will knock him out for Opening Day as well. Those pitchers figured to get plenty of opportunities to start games, and now, they're out to start the year.
Filling in for Giolito, Bello, and Crawford at the bottom of the rotation could easily be Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts, two right-handers who have spent some time in the majors and have had strong spring training showings thus far.
Priester has allowed just two runs in 6.2 innings of work this spring, which is encouraging after he made just one appearance for the Red Sox after being acquired at last year's trade deadline. Fitts has allowed one run in 6.1 innings of work, and pitched well in the four MLB starts he got to make last season.
Red Sox fans would obviously prefer the certainty guys like Giolito, Crawford, and Bello can provide, but both Priester and Fitts have intriguing upside. It'll be interesting to see what they can do if they're given a chance to make the Opening Day roster.