FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lucas Giolito awoke after undergoing surgery on his right elbow Tuesday and soon discovered that things had gone as well as he could have hoped.
Rather than undergo the more invasive Tommy John surgery that could have potentially sidelined him for up to 18 months, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Birmingham, Alabama, performed the internal brace procedure that will mean a far shorter rehab and recovery period.
“Full Tommy John would have been a much longer recovery time,” said Giolito, his right arm in a sling. “Things went as planned. Based on what I was told by the doctor and the training staff here, once he got in there, everything looked really good. They just had to do the brace, a little repair. So, I’m looking forward to tackling this rehab and then being back for a full season next year.”
While Tommy John could have potentially sidelined Giolito until after the All-Star break next year, the timetable from the brace procedure could be less than 12 months.
“I think it might be a little bit too early to know exactly,” said Giolito, “but my goal is to have a full season next year without any sort of restrictions. That’s how it’s looking, based on how successful the surgery was. As long as the rehab goes well, I should be in spring training, preparing like a regular season. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Still, there’s no denying the disappointment he feels about not being able to contribute for the 2024 Red Sox season.
“I’d say the biggest mental hurdle is that feeling of letting people down,” he said. “I signed here to throw a lot of innings for this club and it’s very unfortunate that I experienced this injury. I came into camp and everything was really clean. I felt really good, everything looked really good. It was just one of those things. I guess the TJ only lasted for so long.”
Giolito has been canvassing teammates about their own experiences with elbow surgery, to get a sense of what to expect in recovery.
“I’ve spoken to a number of guys in the clubhouse who’ve gone through Tommy John, internal brace … all those different type of procedures,” said Giolito. “But everyone’s case is a little individualized, right? Knowing myself, I’ve always been able to heal well, (including some) little things that I’ve had the last two years. Obviously, this is recovering from a surgery.
“But I’m very confident that if I stick with the protocol, the training and medical staff here is excellent. They’re going to do everything in their power to get me back strong. So, yeah, just stay on that track.”
Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in 2012, but that came at a very different period of his life.
“I’m in a different position in my career now,” he said. “When I got Tommy John, I was like 18, 19 years old. I didn’t even know what a career in baseball was. I was just getting started. I was kind hoping I would be able to come back strong and be able to start my career. Whereas now, I’m established. I know what it takes to be successful at the big league level.
“Being healthy is a big (factor). So I’m looking forward to getting healthy again.”
Pitcher Justin Slaten delivers a pitch for the Boston Red Sox in a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 27. Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
CRAIG BRESLOW, the Red Sox chief baseball officer, recently told Jim Bowden of The Athletic that righty Justin Slaten has stood out to him during spring training.
“No, I hadn’t heard that,” Slaten said when told about Breslow’s endorsement. “It’s nice to hear.”
Slaten’s Rule 5 status means he must remain on Boston’s active roster for the entire regular season (barring an IL stint) or be returned to his previous club for $50,000. Boston acquired the 26-year-old righty in a trade from the Mets minutes after New York selected him from the Rangers in the December Rule 5 Draft.
Slaten feels he has done everything he can to make Boston’s Opening Day roster.
“Definitely. I feel like at the end of the day if I make the team, great. If I don’t make the team, then I’ll be able to go to bed at night knowing that I did everything I possibly could,” Slaten said.
Slaten has appeared in five games, allowing just one unearned run, two hits and one walk while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.
Slaten, who’s listed at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, throws hard. He has been mostly 95-96 mph with his fastball in spring training games. He threw 62 four-seamers in his five Triple-A outings (8 1/3 innings) last season, topping out at 98.3 mph and never throwing one below 94.1 mph. His average four-seam velocity was 96.1 mph or faster in four of his five outings.
But improvement with his off-speed pitches (slider, cutter, curveball) this spring has really stood out.
“I think the biggest thing coming into camp was that they were putting an emphasis on being able to throw my off-speed stuff in the zone,” Slaten said. “So for me, going out there and being able to throw the slider and the cutter and the curveball all in the zone and generate swings on those is the thing I’ve been the most pleased with about myself. I think that’s the one thing they wanted to see out of me coming into camp was to be able to come in and throw those pitches for strikes. And seeing I can do it has definitely helped generate some success.”
He feels less reliant on his fastball.
“I think just showing the ability to throw those pitches in the zone has helped me not only throw more strikes with everything else but it’s also just kind of helped open everything up,” Slaten said. “And for me, to see I can have success going out there and throwing 50% breaking balls instead of just having to rely on the fastball has definitely given me a ton of confidence. And it’s helped me in all of my outings.
“I’m definitely excited about spring coming to an end. It’s been a great time but every day it gets a little bit closer to the season, you obviously get a little bit more excited. So I’m just trying to continue to do the same things that I’ve been doing. I’m probably going to get a few more outings in and just go out there and continue to do exactly what I’ve done to this point is all I’m focused on right now.”
CLELL HOBSON SR., a football and baseball standout at Alabama in the early 1950s and the father of Butch Hobson, died. He was 93.
Born Nov. 28, 1930, in Tuscaloosa, Hobson played for the Crimson Tide under coach Harold “Red” Drew from 1949-52, leading his team to a 61-6 victory over Syracuse in the 1953 Orange Bowl in his final game. He was believed to be the oldest living former Alabama quarterback at the time of his death.
Hobson’s son, Butch (born Clell Jr.), also played quarterback at Alabama in the early 1970s, and went on to the highest levels of baseball success. The younger Hobson played third base for the Boston Red Sox, California Angels and New York Yankees from 1975-82 (hitting 30 home runs for Boston in 1977) and later managed the Red Sox from 1992-94.
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