MINNEAPOLIS — For the second consecutive yr, the Guardians are going to lose Shane Bieber for a big period of time as a result of elbow bother. This time, surgical procedure is required.
On Saturday, the Guardians introduced that Bieber might want to get surgical procedure to reconstruct his ulnar collateral ligament. The staff is working with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas to determine a time for the process.
Cleveland positioned Bieber on the 15-day injured listing, retroactive to April 3, and recalled right-hander Peter Strzelecki from Triple-A Columbus.
“Before everything, we really feel for Shane,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti stated. “There’s plenty of issues that he’s acquired to course of proper now and work via on the psychological aspect due to simply how set he’s on eager to pitch and contribute to the staff. And never having the ability to try this has actually impacted him.”
There are such a lot of questions that come up from this example. Let’s break it down.
After Bieber’s Opening Day begin in Oakland, he skilled extra soreness in his restoration than normal. The Guardians went via choices with him of what they may do to assist. He may’ve pushed his begin again a day and gotten further remedy. However at that time, Bieber wished to see if he may push via this, contemplating he hadn’t felt any ache in Spring Coaching.
When he toed the rubber once more in Seattle, it persevered.
That led the staff to order some further assessments and scans, which revealed the harm to the identical ligament he had issues with final yr. After getting second opinions from Dr. Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, surgical procedure was decided to be the very best route transferring ahead.
“The quantity of labor that this man’s put in over the previous few years, the issues that he’s pitched via, that’s a testomony to who he’s,” supervisor Stephen Vogt stated. “The quantity of empathy and ache that I really feel with Shane, for Shane, that’s actually what speaks the loudest proper now.”
You wouldn’t have recognized that Bieber was coping with any ache. The best-hander dominated in his first two outings, racking up 20 strikeouts over 12 mixed innings. His velocity was trending in the precise course.
Bieber’s changeup and curveball had been the very best they’ve been in years. He was beginning to appear like the 2020 American League Cy Younger model of himself. As a substitute, he has no concept what his future holds.
Who takes Bieber’s spot within the rotation?
Gavin Williams remains to be weeks away from his return. Hunter Gaddis is locked in as a reduction choice. Tyler Beede is Cleveland’s long-relief choice and will transfer to the rotation, however his pitch rely gained’t be excessive proper out of the gate. No. 11 prospect Joey Cantillo is out for the following two months with a hamstring pressure.
The hope for the Guardians is that Ben Full of life and Xzavion Curry can hustle via their rehab assignments. They acquired a late begin to the season after every being sidelined for 2 weeks in Spring Coaching with a respiratory virus. They’ve every made a rehab begin in Triple-A Columbus and seemed sturdy.
Curry allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Full of life gave up one hit in three innings with three strikeouts. However like Beede, neither are totally stretched out as starters simply but. Relying on when the Guardians name up a fifth starter, they might have to have guys piggyback off of one another till they’re at full power.
What does this imply for Bieber’s future?
It is a difficult scenario for any pitcher, however much more so for Bieber, who’s in his remaining yr with the Guardians. If he would’ve remained as stellar as he was within the first two begins, he may’ve been a commerce candidate come July.
If Cleveland stayed in rivalry, he may’ve been the chief of this workers to a different enjoyable run just like the group had in 2022. However most significantly, he was making an attempt to pad his résumé as he entered free company. As a substitute, he faces a protracted highway again to the mound.
Perhaps this implies Bieber remaining in Cleveland past ‘24 is extra attainable. If different golf equipment aren’t prepared to take an opportunity on a man getting back from Tommy John surgical procedure, the membership may have the ability to ink Bieber to a less expensive deal than they might’ve coming into the season.
Perhaps that is going to be an underwhelming ending to Bieber’s unbelievable stint in Cleveland. Perhaps groups on the perimeter of taking that subsequent large step into rivalry can be prepared to go after Bieber no matter his harm historical past. All he can do now’s wait and see.