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Lucas Giolito ‘feels ready to go’ for Red Sox debut, but does the team?
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- Lucas Giolito ‘feels ready to go’ for Red Sox debut, but does the team?
BOSTON — Brayan Bello will join the Red Sox' rotation and make his season debut Tuesday night at Fenway . Lucas Giolito doesn't seem to be too far behind him.
Giolito, who pitched five innings for Double-A Portland on Sunday in Hartford, said he believes he's ready to pitch for the Red Sox after four rehab outings. The Red Sox haven't yet decided whether Giolito will join their rotation in the next week or if he'll have one more rehab start. The right-hander though, didn't mince words.
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"I feel ready to go," Giolito said. "Finally hitting the five-inning mark was good so I feel ready to help contribute in whatever way possible."
Giolito, who missed his first season with the Red Sox after blowing out his elbow in spring training, entered camp healthy this year before suffering a mild left hamstring strain on the first pitch he threw in a Grapefruit League game on March 11. That injury healed fast but Giolito needed to build his arm up after a short shutdown period, leading him to begin the year on the injured list.
Giolito's build-up has come in April instead of March — and there have been ups and downs. He didn't feel good about his command when he pitched Tuesday for Portland but felt much better about how things went Sunday, when he struck out four batters and allowed three runs on six hits (including a homer) in five frames.
Most importantly, though, Giolito threw 65 pitches (47 strikes) and added more to the count in a bullpen session after he departed.
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"The first Double-A game, I didn't throw enough strikes so I was pretty disgusted with myself in that aspect," Giolito said Monday. "My entire goal for yesterday was just to throw as many strikes as I possibly could. We did that. I didn't walk anyone. I gave up some hard contact for sure but that's because I was trying to throw so many pitches down the middle.
"I accomplished what I set out to do. I wanted to throw my five innings and whatever pitches. I had to go finish up in the bullpen. I said, 'Let me just go out and throw the sixth inning' but we're on those restrictions. Just doing what they tell me."
The Red Sox entered the season with three starters — Bello, Giolito and Kutter Crawford — sidelined. Richard Fitts (now on the IL with a pectoral strain) and Sean Newcomb have filled in admirably but the rotation is about to look better than it has at any point this season. The expectation is that Garrett Crochet , Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler will soon be joined by Bello and Giolito to round out the starting five.
"It helps. We've been two guys down," manager Alex Cora said.
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Giolito won't pitch in the upcoming three-game series against Seattle with Bello, Newcomb and Crochet in line. He would be ready on full rest for Friday's series opener in Cleveland , though so would Houck. An outing over the weekend in Worcester remains possible for Giolito, too.
"We'll meet," Cora said. "I just talked to him a little bit. Felt great, threw strikes and physically, he's in a good spot. We'll see what's next for him, whether it's one more or he'll be back with us."
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