CLEVELAND -- Shane Bieber has been making steady progress in his comeback from April 2024 Tommy John surgery since he suffered a brief setback last month. On Tuesday, the Guardians’ ace took another important step.
Bieber began a rehab assignment with the club's Rookie-level Arizona Complex League team. The right-hander started against the ACL Dodgers, striking out five batters over two scoreless innings while allowing a single and a walk.
Bieber is slated to make a second rehab start on Tuesday with one of the Guardians’ Ohio-based Minor League affiliates. High-A Lake County and Triple-A Columbus each have a home game scheduled. Double-A Akron is on the road against Harrisburg.
Bieber was tracking toward a potential late June or early July return to the Majors, but he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow following his first rehab start in the ACL on May 31 in addition to his ensuing bullpen session. He was shut down from throwing for a week, then resumed his progression.
With a new 30-day rehab assignment window starting on Tuesday, Bieber could be back in the Majors in early or mid-August. He is set to make several starts in the Minors as he progressively builds up his volume. The Guardians, of course, will continue to factor in how Bieber is feeling physically.
“Our pitching group and our medical group are all looking at the velocities, the movements,” manager Stephen Vogt said Friday. “But really, more importantly, it's just, ‘Shane, how are you feeling?’ Are you coming out with soreness? Is it regular soreness?’ like he experienced in his last rehab stint. Shane felt great [on Tuesday], and that's where we're at today.”
Bieber threw 30 pitches over his two innings on Tuesday. Starting pitchers typically add one inning and 15 pitches to their volume with each rehab start, and there are times where they repeat a step in their progression.
With the Arizona Complex League season ending after Thursday’s games, Bieber’s rehab outings will be with Cleveland’s affiliates from here onward.
Bieber threw multiple bullpen sessions in late June after overcoming the brief setback, and he then worked up to pitching in live batting practice sessions. He threw 41 pitches in a three-inning simulated live BP on Thursday, and Vogt noted Bieber felt “really good” coming out of that session.
Bieber could offer a big boost to the Guardians’ starting rotation as Cleveland looks to remain in the postseason mix. The situation is not entirely unlike what we saw with Matthew Boyd last August. Boyd recorded a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 innings over eight starts with the Guardians following his Aug. 13 season debut, which came after his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
The Guardians’ starting rotation got off to a slow start this season. Through May, it recorded a 4.25 ERA (23rd in the Majors) over 290 innings (24th). Since June 1, it has a 3.80 ERA (eighth) and has tossed 213 1/3 innings (fifth).
Cleveland’s starting five currently includes Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen and Joey Cantillo. The Guardians recalled Cantillo from Triple-A Columbus to join the rotation on July 3, when Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through the All-Star break.