The Padres announced that right-hander Lucas Giolito has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 22nd, with right elbow inflammation. Lefty JP Sears has been recalled to take Giolito’s roster spot.
The Friars haven’t yet provided any information on the severity of Giolito’s issue or his expected absence, but it’s a bit ominous given his history. Giolito missed the 2024 season while recovering from internal brace surgery. He was back on the mound with the Red Sox in 2025. Though he posted a 3.41 earned run average over 145 innings, there were some concerns. He was a bit lucky in terms of batted ball results and stranding baserunners. His 19.7% strikeout rate was subpar and well below his previous seasons. An elbow injury prevented him from pitching for Boston in the postseason.
He said in November that he was fully healthy. Regardless, he remained unsigned until almost a month into the regular season, when the Padres scooped him up. He agreed to be optioned to the minors to get built up. He was recalled in the middle of May. Since then, he has made seven appearances for the Padres with a 5.16 ERA. His strikeout rate has fallen even further from last year, as he has punched out just 13% of batters faced. He has also given out walks at an uncharacteristically awful 16.7% pace.
Perhaps most concerning of all is his velocity. His four-seamer is averaging just 90.8 miles per hour this year. That’s a big drop from last year’s 93.3 mph. His other pitches are also down about two to three clicks.
More to come.
