The road to get back to a Major League mound was, as Lucas Giolito put it, long and arduous. But as his strong return on Wednesday night demonstrated, it has a chance to be highly rewarding.

Giolito cruised through five innings before running into trouble with two-outs in the sixth, turning a positive game into a disappointment.

The Sox signed the righthander after the 2023 season, but he suffered an elbow injury in spring training that required season-ending surgery, then had his 2025 debut delayed by a hamstring strain, opening the season on the injured list.