After breakout season, White Sox ace Giolito shut down with lat strain

Lucas Giolito's season to remember is over.

Emerging as the White Sox's top starting pitcher after posting the highest ERA (6.13) in the majors last year while leading the American League with 90 walks, Giolito is done for the year.

After Monday night's 5-3 loss to the Twins, the Sox announced Giolito is dealing with a mild lat strain.

“I thought it was a cramp in my triceps,” Giolito told reporters at Target Field. “So I was like, ‘I don't need to throw a side. I'm good.' Then the MRI showed it was like a very, very mild lat strain. They decided to shut me down.

“For me, it just (stinks) because I wanted to finish what I started. But at the same time, it is what it is. It just was kind of a random thing that happened.”

With multiple White Sox pitchers and prospects going down with Tommy John surgery the last two years, the injury news on Giolito is much less serious.

“It's very clear it's a mild lat strain and there are zero long-term concerns,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “Disappointed that his season is ending this way, but given that it's a temporary thing, certainly excited about the big picture and the totality of his work in 2019.”

After going 10-13 with a 6.13 ERA in 2018, Giolito was 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA this season. Heading into Tuesday's play, the 25-year-old righty was tied for fourth in the AL with 228 strikeouts.

Giolito also pitched in his first All-Star Game and was voted AL Pitcher of the Month for May after going 5-0 with a 1.74 ERA.

“It was good,” Giolito said of his season. “A step in the right direction. Considering my body of work before this year, I knew probably a lot of people counted me out. The adjustments I made and all of the stuff, I knew it was going to pay off for me. It did for the most part.”