Bieber sharp in rehab start amid trade noise before Deadline

CLEVELAND -- Shane Bieber made his latest rehab start on Tuesday in his comeback from Tommy John surgery in April 2024, and the 30-year-old worked four innings with Double-A Akron against the Erie Seawolves at Canal Park.

Bieber was charged with one run on three hits (including a solo homer), and he struck out seven with zero walks. He threw 57 pitches (37 strikes), a workload that was in line with the Guardians’ plan for him to throw four innings and around 55 pitches.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Bieber came out of the start feeling “great.”

“Obviously the line was good. The velo looked good,” Vogt said Tuesday afternoon. “We’ll just have to monitor how he’s feeling today. Tomorrow will be the big story of how he’s feeling, to determine the next steps.”

Bieber was slated to start on Sunday for Triple-A Columbus, but the Clippers’ pair of games against Buffalo at Huntington Park was rained out.

“I was really excited to throw [Sunday], but I got my first dose of reality with the weather delays in Columbus,” Bieber quipped on Monday.

After he started Tuesday, Bieber’s next outing could fall this Sunday, when Akron hosts Erie. Columbus and High-A Lake County are on the road this week. Sunday would mark his fourth rehab start since he suffered a brief setback in his progression in June. Bieber started in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on July 15 and with High-A Lake County last Tuesday.

Bieber’s return could be a boon to the Guardians' pitching staff down the stretch. Of course, the MLB Trade Deadline looms at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, and it is a major backdrop for all 30 clubs across the Majors this week. While Bieber is still building up his pitch-count volume, he has appeared on the rumor mill as his rehab progression has ramped up.

Bieber signed a one-year deal with a player option for 2026 last December, meaning he could become a free agent this winter. It could put the Guardians (who, at 52-54, are on the periphery of the American League postseason picture) in a position to make a decision on their longtime ace this week.

Bieber, for his part, noted he does not pay much mind to the rumors this time of year -- certainly not as his focus remains on getting back to the Majors.

“No. Maybe in years past,” Bieber said. “I feel like with my situation right now, it's pretty easy to focus on what's most important, and that's game action and continuing to build and recover. It's pretty easy to keep perspective right now. So I'm focused on getting back and helping the team and doing that as quickly as possible.”

Bieber was on track to return to the Guardians in late June or early July; he made his first rehab start on May 31 in the Complex League. He was set to start for Akron on June 6, but he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow after that outing and his ensuing between-starts bullpen session.

Bieber was shut down from throwing for one week after he consulted with his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister. He then resumed his throwing progression and returned to game action in the Complex League during the All-Star break.

“All I have to go off of is how I feel right now, and I feel great,” Bieber said when asked about the setback. “I choose to believe that my path was already kind of laid out for me, and I was probably always leading up to ... it's hard to call it a setback. Maybe it's just part of my progression, right? And that's what Dr. Meister ended up saying.

“I was frustrated to be on such a steady incline and then have a bit of a hiccup right when I started my rehab assignment. It was kind of tough timing, but it could have been worse timing. So I took it in stride, and now I’m right back here, ready to go and stretch out to four innings and continue to make steps after that. I’m very excited.”