The Cleveland Guardians just suffered a gut punch this past week when they lost Ben Lively for the entire season.
The reliable righty needed Tommy John surgery and a flexor tendon repair, knocking him out of action until the summer of 2026 at the very least.
However, it’s not all bad news for the Guardians.
In fact, they announced a really exciting development for their fans and their 2025 prospects.
“Cleveland Guardians RHP Shane Bieber will make his first rehab start this upcoming Saturday in the Arizona Complex League,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Shane Bieber will make his first rehab start this upcoming Saturday in the Arizona Complex League.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 26, 2025
After going under the knife in April 2024, Bieber, the Guardians’ ace, is ready to face hitters in a competitive environment.
He will start with a rehab stint in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, regaining his confidence and starting his build-up process.
After one or two outings in the desert, he will likely move to Double-A or Triple-A for another handful of starts.
Bieber, having been out for so long, is expected to need about three or four rehab starts so he can stretch out to a full MLB starter workload.
The Guardians’ rotation isn’t precisely among the best in the league, which is why Bieber’s pending return will represent a huge boost to their chances this year.
This is a bonafide ace when healthy, and if you don’t believe it, all you need to do is look at his resume: a Cy Young Award, a 3.22 career ERA, more strikeouts than innings pitched, and a phenomenal 12-inning scoreless run to open 2024 before going down with the elbow injury.
Around this time next month, we should see the great Shane Bieber back in Cleveland’s rotation.
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