The Cleveland Guardians could really use Shane Bieber right now.
To be fair, any team in the Majors would love to have a Cy Young Award winner in their ranks.
Bieber is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and while he’s expected to be back at some point this season, it will likely be a while longer.
According to Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, the talented hurler is slated to make his next rehab start Thursday when he takes the mound for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks against the Chesapeake Baysox.
Bieber got back on the mound on Saturday at the Arizona Complex League.
Per Antonetti, the star hurler has been taking an unorthodox approach to his recovery, as he’s not only striving to get back to full strength, but also to add even more firepower to his repertoire:
“[Shane Bieber’s] worked on adding some complementary pitches or changing the way some of his pitch profiles look,” Antonetti revealed. “His changeup in particular had maybe more depth than it’s had in the past and his other secondary pitches look good.”
Reports showed that Bieber’s fastball velocity sat between 92-94 mph in his first rehab start, so he’s clearly heading in the right direction.
Per Antonetti, the coaching staff has put together a progression-based program that will mimic a spring training build-up to make up for the lack of a preseason.
That most likely means that they will continue to take things slowly with him and won’t allow him to overwork his arm.
He was out there for three innings and 50 pitches, and the team will most likely drive those numbers up gradually.
Bieber is one of the best and most consistent hurlers in the Majors, and while the team clearly needs him to get back on the mound, they should also take a long-term approach and make sure he’s back to full strength first.
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