The Red Sox announced Wednesday that Lucas Giolito underwent successful right-elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair with internal brace.

Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedics Center in Birmingham, Ala. performed the surgery on Tuesday after evaluating Giolito, 29. The right-hander had felt discomfort in his elbow during his Mar. 1 start, and was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear and flexor strain late last week.

It’s both good and bad news for the right-hander and his team. The procedure is a newer alternative to Tommy John surgery, which is a full reconstruction of the UCL. Internal brace carries a significantly shorter recovery timetable. Rather than looking at a 12-18-month road back to the mound, there is a small chance that Giolito could return at the end of the upcoming season.

However, it’s more likely that he’ll make his Red Sox debut in 2025. When Trevor Story had the internal brace in January ’23, he didn’t make his season debut until Aug. 8. Giolito will likely require more time to recover, as pitchers put more strain on their throwing arms than position players.

The Red Sox signed Giolito to a two-year deal worth $38.5 million in early January, hoping to add a durable arm to a starting rotation that’s been wrecked by injury after injury over the last half-decade. Between his first full season in the Majors in ’18 and last year, the righty averaged 28 starts and 158 innings per year.