Cleveland Guardians’ right-hander Shane Bieber is taking gigantic steps towards a return to action in the upcoming weeks.
The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner has been recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in April 2024, and despite a few setbacks here and there, he now looks on his way to returning soon.
He has already resumed rehab after June’s elbow soreness scare, tossing two scoreless innings with five strikeouts on Tuesday in the Arizona Complex League (ACL).
After making it through that outing unscathed, he is now set to take the ball again next week.
“Cleveland #Guardians RHP Shane Bieber will make his next rehab appearance this upcoming Tuesday at one of the team’s minor league affiliates,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Shane Bieber will make his next rehab appearance this up coming Tuesday at one of the teams minor league affiliates.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 19, 2025
The insider speculates that the outing could come either in Lake County (High-A) or in Columbus (Triple-A) since Double-A Akron will be on the road to start next week.
Bieber, who had two promising starts last year before going down with the elbow injury, would represent a huge boost for the Guardians’ second-half chances.
The team is on the brink of contention, but the offense has held them back most of the season.
A healthy, effective Bieber would give them a bona fide ace, which is extremely valuable given the uncertainty surrounding Luis L. Ortiz.
Bieber still has hurdles to clear, though, most notably testing out his stuff post-surgery against hitters in the upper minors.
If he can succeed against them for 1-2 additional starts, there is a good chance he is ready to return to the Guardians rotation by August.
NEXT: Guardians Set A New Franchise Record On Saturday
