MINNEAPOLIS — For the second year in a row, the Guardians will be without Shane Bieber due to an elbow injury. This time I need surgery.
On Saturday, the Guardian announced that Bieber would need surgery to reconstruct his ulnar collateral ligament. The team is working with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas to determine the timing of surgery.
Cleveland placed Bieber on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 3 and recalled right-hander Peter Strzelecki from Triple-A Columbus.
“First and foremost, our hearts go out to Shane,” said Guardians Director of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti. “As determined as he is to pitch and contribute to the team, he has a lot to deal with right now mentally. And not being able to do that really affected him. .”
This situation raises many questions. Let's break it down.
Bieber felt more pain than usual while recovering after starting the season opener in Oakland. The Guardians worked with him to see what could be done. He could have delayed his start by a day and received additional treatment. But at that point, Bieber hadn't felt any pain in spring training, so he wanted to see if he could get through this.
It persisted when he put on the rubber again in Seattle.
As a result, the team ordered additional tests and scans, which revealed he had torn the same ligament he had problems with last year. After getting a second opinion from Dr. Meister and Dr. Neal El-Atrache, it was decided that surgery was the best option going forward.
“The amount of effort this player has put in over the last few years, what he's accomplished is a testament to who he is,” coach Stephen Vogt said. “The amount of empathy and pain I feel for Shane, that speaks loudest right now.”
No one would have known that Bieber was dealing with some kind of pain. The right-handed pitcher pitched dominantly in the first two games, totaling 20 strikeouts in 12 innings. His speed was in the right direction.
Bieber's changeup and curveball were the best in years. He was starting to look like the 2020 American League Cy Young version of himself. Instead, he has no idea what his future holds.
Who will replace Beaver in the rotation?
Gavin Williams is still weeks away from his return. Hunter Gaddis is locked in as a relief option. Tyler Beede is a long relief option for Cleveland and could move into the rotation, but his pitch numbers won't be high right away. No. 11 prospect Joey Cantillo will be out for the next two months with a hamstring strain.
The hope for the Guardians is that Ben Lively and Xavion Curry will do their best in their rehab assignments. They each missed two weeks of spring training with a respiratory virus, resulting in a delayed start to the season. They each began rehab in Triple-A Columbus and looked strong.
Curry allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings and had seven strikeouts. Lively allowed one hit and no runs in three innings, striking out three. However, like Beede, neither is fully capable of being a starter yet. Depending on when the Guardians bring in a fifth starter, players may need to ride off each other's shoulders until they are at their full potential.
What does this mean for the Beaver's future?
This is a tough situation for any pitcher, but it's even tougher for Bieber, who is in his final year with the Guardians. If he had been as good as he was in his first two starts, he could have been a trade candidate in July.
If Cleveland had stayed in contention, he could have been the leader of this staff and had another fun run like the group did in 2022. But most importantly, he was looking to inflate his resume when he became a free agent. Instead, he faces a long road back to the mound.
Perhaps this means it's more realistic for Bieber to remain in Cleveland beyond 2024. The club may be able to sign Bieber to a cheaper contract entering the season if no other club is willing to take a chance on a player coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Perhaps this will be the underwhelming end to Bieber's incredible stint in Cleveland. Perhaps a team looking to take the next big step into contention would be willing to pursue Bieber regardless of his injury history. All he can do now is wait and see.
