The Cleveland Guardians rolled the dice when they signed former Baltimore Orioles star John Means.
While the pitcher was always expected to need some time to recover and get back on the mound, it might be taking a little longer than expected.
According to a report by Guardians Prospective, Means has yet to start throwing bullpen sessions.
He was throwing from 120 feet early in May, but the Guardians haven’t offered any information about a possible setback.
Cleveland #Guardians LHP John Means who was throwing from 120 feet in the beginning of May has yet to start throwing bullpens. No other information given if he suffered any setbacks.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 15, 2025
The Guardians signed Means while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
He had the procedure last June, and it was the second time since 2022.
The 32-year-old left-hander has been limited to 52.1 MLB innings over the past three years because of the injury.
Means was the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year in 2019 (to Yordan Alvarez) and looked like a true ace and a superstar in the making.
He threw a no-hitter in 2021 and was a dropped strikeout away from having a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners.
With the Orioles, he had a 23-26 record with a 3.68 ERA, a 123 ERA+ and a 4.23 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
He was always a long shot to be ready before the All-Star break, but the lack of information and updates, plus the fact that he has yet to throw a bullpen session, might mean he still has hurdles to clear before being an option for the Guardians’ rotation.
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