NEW YORK – As the Red Sox battled to maintain their hold on a Wild Card in the waning weeks of the regular season, one of their most key pitchers was quietly fighting what ultimately proved to be a losing battle.

“I probably started feeling it around my start against the A’s. Yeah, it started off mild and obviously got progressively worse,” said right-hander Lucas Giolito, whom the Red Sox left off the Wild Card roster after manager Alex Cora made the stunning announcement about the injury on Monday. “It started off mild and obviously got progressively worse.”

Knowing what was at stake for the team, Giolito was determined to persevere. He also initially thought the issue was simply the usual toll of a long season of work.

“There was no other thought in my mind than to grind through and

See Full Page