FORT MYERS, Fla. — Last March, Lucas Giolito never even made it to Opening Day.

Just months after signing with the Red Sox as a free agent, he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, resulting in an internal brace procedure which cost him all of the 2024 season.

Healthy again, Giolito was excited to return to the mound Tuesday for his first outing of the 2025. But his body had other ideas.

Upon throwing his very first pitch of the game to Philadelphia Phillies’ second baseman Bryson Stott, Giolito immediately felt some tightness in his left hamstring.

“I knew it wasn’t bad,” he said, “so I just adjusted my front leg mechanics a little bit, just to compete and get through the inning. Wasn’t pretty obviously (he was charged with two runs on one hit and two walks), but it felt good to be back out there competing. We’ll assess and do whatever (the training staff) says and it shouldn’t be bad.”

After the game, an 18-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Alex Cora said Giolito will undergo an MRI Wednesday.

Cora added that he wished Giolito had said something at the time, but understood the circumstances.

“That’s how (players) are, man. They want to compete,” said Cora. “They feel like it’s something they can work through. Hopefully, it’s nothing major and he can make his next start.”

Giolito said he’s experienced strained hamstrings before and this, comparatively speaking, seems to be of minimum concern.

“I’ve pulled my hamstring in my career a few times,” said Giolito, “and it feels very minor. That’s what (the training staff) is saying based on the initial testing. It’s just an annoying little setback, I guess.”

Asked if he felt cursed after missing a year and enduring a setback, however minor, after one pitch, but dismissed that line of thinking.

“You can’t have that attitude,” he said. “It is what it is. Things happen, injuries happen. I wouldn’t even categorize this as an injury, really, at this point. It just felt like it got tight on me.

“We’ll do the protocol, get it looked at and it shouldn’t be too bad.”

Giolito wasn’t sure if the strain would preclude him from making his next scheduled outing.

“I’m not sure at this point,” he said. “It’s a little too early to tell.”

He added that he didn’t feel any tightness in the bullpen, warming up before the game.

“It’s frustrating,” conceded Giolito. “I’d like everything to be just sunshine and rainbows and feeling great. But that’s not the way baseball works or the way life works sometimes. The fortunate thing is that the strength’s really good. I already know (in my head) that it’s nothing bad. It’s just a little thing to have to work through.”

Because Giolito altered his delivery some, it was hard for to judge the quality of his stuff in his inning of work.

“Obviously, it was erratic,” he said of the outing. “It was hard to throw strikes that way, especially with breaking balls. It felt good to be competing. It wasn’t the prettiest inning, but I look forward to better ones ahead.”

If there’s any consolation, his surgically-repaired elbow held up well.

“Elbow feels great. Shoulder and elbow (are in a) really good spot,” he said. “I think the work we’ve been putting in the last year has paid off in that aspect. I feel really strong.”

Told that his fastball sat mostly at 93 mph, Giolito shrugged.

“Eh, that’s fine. That’s where I like to pitch at generally, Giolito said. ”So I probably have a little more (in the tank) if I can use my left leg.”

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