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Guardians' Star Pitcher Receives Massive Injury Update
Oct 14, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning in game two of the ALDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Guardians' Star Pitcher Receives Massive Injury Update

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Matthew Schmidt  |  Last updated Apr 1, 2025 11:51 AM ET

The Cleveland Guardians are banking on star pitcher Shane Bieber returning healthy from Tommy John surgery this season, and he appears to be making terrific progress.

Bieber has been sidelined since last April, but he is working his way back and may be back on the mound sooner than many of us thought.

As of the most recent injury update for Bieber, the right-hander could start throwing live batting practice later this month or in early May.

This is a major development for the Guardians, who had one of the worst starting rotations in baseball without Bieber last season.

Cleveland re-signed Bieber to a one-year, $10 million contract with a player option for 2026 over the winter, trusting that the former Cy Young award winner would be able to help the team in 2025.

Of course, injuries have unfortunately played a major role in Bieber's career since he entered the big leagues in 2018. He has made 30 starts just twice throughout his MLB tenure, most recently doing so in 2022 when he went 13-8 wiith a 2.88 ERA over 200 innings of work.

When healthy, we know that Bieber is one of the genuinely elite arms in baseball, but keeping him on the field has proven to be a trying exercise.

The Guardians managed to win the AL Central and make it all the way to the ALCS sans Bieber in 2024, so getting him back on the bump should pay huge dividends for them this season.

Hopefully, the 29-year-old continues to come along swimmingly in his recovery.

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This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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