Red Sox have concerns about the right elbow of starter Lucas Giolito

The Boston Red Sox are likely to be without right-handed starter Lucas Giolito for opening day and potentially longer after he experienced discomfort in his elbow following his last outing.

Manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Giolito will have additional exams to determine the severity of the injury.

“We’re obviously concerned. Not a good day for us,” Cora told reporters in Florida.

Giolito signed a $38.5 million, two-year deal with the Red Sox this offseason. He made two starts in spring training, throwing two scoreless innings in his first outing before getting roughed up allowing four runs and three walks in 2 1/3 innings against Minnesota last Friday.

It was after that start that Giolito reported the discomfort in his elbow.

Giolito was the first overall pick by Washington in the 2012 amateur draft, agreed to a $2,925,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut that Aug. 14 in the Gulf Coast League. That was his only appearance before Tommy John surgery on Aug. 31, 2012, with Dr. Lewis Yocum.

Giolito returned to the mound in the Gulf Coast League the following July 3 and he made his big league debut in June 2016.

He is coming off a 2023 season where he gave up a league-high 41 home runs and had a 4.88 ERA pitching for the White Sox, Angels and Guardians. He was an All-Star in 2019 and between 2019-21, Giolito had a combined 3.47 ERA and averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The Red Sox were hopeful of getting that version of Giolito when he signed this winter.