Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber will miss the rest of the season due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, according to reports from Guardians beat writer Mandy Bell. Orthopedic surgeons Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache have confirmed that the former AL Cy Young winner needs to undergo a UCL reconstruction. Bieber had been experiencing pain in his elbow since his Opening Day start, which persisted through his next outing against the Seattle Mariners.
Bieber, who had a 2-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and a 0.92 WHIP in 12 innings this season, was on track for another All-Star campaign and was considered a Cy Young candidate despite his limited time on the mound. The 28-year-old had previously dealt with elbow soreness last season, missing two and a half months before making a late-season return. His offseason was uneventful, with no setbacks reported as he trained at the Driveline Baseball facility in Arizona.
With Bieber set to become a free agent after this season, speculation has arisen about whether the Guardians will re-sign him, especially given his injury history. Bieber has garnered Cy Young votes in three of his six full seasons with Cleveland and has been named to two AL All-Star teams. The right-hander has missed significant time in two of the last three seasons and will now sit out the remainder of this season, as well as likely most of the 2025 season.
The loss of Bieber leaves the Guardians with a major gap in their starting rotation. With Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, and Logan Allen as the main options, the team will need to rely heavily on their younger pitchers. Gavin Williams is still recovering from an elbow injury on the 15-day IL and is not expected to return anytime soon. Cleveland will have to make adjustments to cope with Bieber’s absence and find ways to remain competitive without their ace on the mound.
Despite the setback, team president Chris Antonetti praised Bieber for his toughness and determination to continue pitching despite his injury. Bieber’s commitment to the team and desire to contribute are evident in his willingness to pitch through discomfort. The Guardians will miss his presence on the field and will need to regroup and adapt to the new reality of playing without their star pitcher. The team faces challenges ahead as they navigate the remainder of the season without Bieber and look towards the future without him in their starting rotation.
