Last weekend, the Cleveland Guardians announced news that would bring the fans, who were ecstatic about the team’s hot streak, back down to earth.
Ace Shane Bieber was diagnosed with a torn UCL and it was revealed that he would need Tommy John surgery.
It represented crushing news at the time and still, to this date, the Guardians and their fans are worried about playing out the season without their best pitcher.
It was particularly disappointing since the right-hander opened the season with 12 consecutive scoreless innings and 20 strikeouts.
On Friday, the Guards announced that Bieber successfully went under the knife.
“The Guardians announced that Shane Bieber underwent surgery today and the doctor in charge was “pleased with the results of the right elbow procedure,” Cleveland Baseball Insider tweeted.
The Guardians announced that Shane Bieber underwent surgery today and the doctor in charge was "pleased with the results of the right elbow procedure."https://t.co/2TrwjoewRD
— Cleveland Baseball Insider (@CBI_FanNation) April 12, 2024
A successful Tommy John repair usually means a pitcher can return to action in 14-16 months.
Some of them beat the 14-month earliest timetable, while some of them encounter setbacks along the way and take a bit longer to come back.
In any case, Bieber has a chance to return before the end of the 2025 season, even if chances are that we will see his best version in 2026.
In any case, there is a very good chance he has thrown his last pitch as a Guardian.
Bieber is scheduled for free agency after the 2024 campaign.
Of course, it’s also possible that the Guardians bring him back on a one or two-year deal for him to re-establish his value in 2025-26.
Losing Bieber, an integral part of Cleveland’s rotation since 2018, definitely hurt fans.
If this is, indeed, the end of his Guardians’ tenure, he will end it by posting a fine 3.22 ERA in 843 innings pitched, with a Cy Young award (2020), a Gold Glove and two All-Star appearances.
NEXT: Guardians Comeback Falls Short As They Drop First Game Against Yankees
