In a surprising turn of events, the Cleveland Guardians announced that their ace Shane Bieber will be going under the knife.
His elbow bothered him after the first start of the season in Oakland and that continued through his game against the Seattle Mariners, which forced the team to perform an MRI.
It showed ligament damage, and Tommy John surgery has been recommended.
It’s very possible that Bieber, who won the 2020 AL Cy Young and has been one of the most reliable pitchers in the American League since 2019, has thrown his last pitch as a Guardian.
At the very least, he will be out for the season and quite possibly 2025 as well.
Fans, of course, are devastated.
The Guardians were off to a 6-2 start and were looking like bona fide contenders in the AL Central.
That might still be the case even without Bieber, but there is no doubt things will get much tougher from here on out.
— Duder (@EmperorDuder) April 6, 2024
Tough loss for the guardians… Speedy recovery for Bieber
— HotZoneSports (@Hot_Zone_Sports) April 6, 2024
Just why? Why do I even bother
— It’s Jose Ramirez Time (@CTPhDinSports) April 6, 2024
Has a 0 ERA 20ks and bam TJ surgery. Wild sport
— PhoenixOhio (@PhxOhioSports) April 6, 2024
Many fans around the sport are wondering why so many pitchers are suffering elbow injuries.
Gerrit Cole recently went down, as did Eury Perez of the Miami Marlins before Bieber.
Some point out the increased focus on velocity, while others blame the pitch clock:
Pitch clock causing these injuries? Why are so many pitchers getting injured
— t_ser48 (@t_ser48) April 6, 2024
In any case, it’s devastating news for a Guardians team that reportedly considered the possibility of trading Bieber in the offseason.
Now, they will be without that hypothetical return and without the pitcher himself.
Brutal getting no trade return for him either.
— Clown cheers for pack, bucks, crew (@Wyomingmlbnews) April 6, 2024
Just awful luck for a team that has had, historically, its fair share of it.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Reveals Devastating Shane Bieber Injury News
