TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 2: Shane Bieber #57 of the Toronto Blue Jays smiles ahead of their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 2, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
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On Friday, August 22, right-hander Shane Bieber is scheduled t0 make his first Major League Baseball start since having Tommy John surgery April 12, 2024
Bieber, 30, made his last start April 2, 2024, pitching for the Cleveland Guardians against the Miami Marlins.
Instead of wearing his familiar Cleveland Guardians uniform, Bieber will be pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bieber started the 2024 season with a 2-0 record, with a 0.00 ERA. He recorded 20 strikeouts in 12 scoreless innings.
After Bieber reported soreness and discomfort in his right elbow, it was determined he needed Tommy John reconstructive surgery.
Hoping Bieber would be healthy to help the Guardians with a September and/or postseason run, the team signed Bieber to a $10M contract for the 2025 season. Bieber holds a $16M player option for 2026.
The Guardians traded Bieber to the Blue Jays July 31, 2025, getting right-handed prospect pitcher Khal Stephen in return.
As it turn out, Stephen is now said to be progressing well after experiencing a right shoulder impingement.
So Bieber is gone, pitching now for Toronto, and Stephen may be capable of stepping into a Guardians rotation role as soon as next season.
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 05: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) in the Guardians dugout during the second inning of the Major League Baseball ALDS Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on October 5, 2024, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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About Shane Bieber:
Shane Bieber has an almost ideal baseball pitcher’s frame, at 6-3, 200 pounds.
Bieber pitched at Laguna Hills High School, in Laguna Hills California. He showed signs of being able to command his pitches.
Bieber chose to attend the University of California at Santa Barbara as a walk-on. He then earned a scholarship, and pitched well.
As noted at cleveland.com in 2016, “Bieber became UCSB’s Friday night starter, meaning he’s their ace.”
Bieber was a 4th round Cleveland Indians draft pick out of University of California at Santa Barbara in 2016.
The Indians chose Bieber right behind their selection of right-handed pitcher, Aaron Civale, of Northeastern University.
Bieber was the No. 122 player taken in the draft.
The Indians gave Bieber a $420,000 signing bonus, which turned out to be a great section for Cleveland. In reality, the MLB “slot” amount for that pick was $482,500, giving the Indians quite a bargain.
CLEVELAND, OH – JULY 30: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber in the dugout during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball Interleague game between the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Guardians on July 30, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Prior to his elbow injury, Bieber had always played a prominent role on the Guardians pitching staff.
Bieber made his MLB debut May 31, 2018, at the age of 23. He has never pitched in any organization other than Cleveland.
Viewed as the team’s ace, Bieber appeared in two All Star Games with Cleveland, in 2019, and in 2021.
Bieber won the American League Cy Young Award in the pandemic shortened, 2020 season.
Prior to his trade to the Blue Jays, Bieber had pitched parts of seven years for Cleveland. He left the Guardians organization with a career record of 62-32, a 3.22 ERA, and a 1.11 WHIP.
Bieber made 134 starts with Cleveland, and pitched twice in the bullpen. In his career to date, Bieber has thrown 834 innings.
Prior to his surgery, brooksbaseball.net indicates Bieber threw a four-seam fastball at 92.90 miles per hour, a slider at 85.53 miles per hour, a curve at 82.33 miles per hour, a cutter at 88.05 miles per hour.
His most commonly used pitches are his fastball/slider combination.
TORONTO, CANADA – AUGUST 2: Shane Bieber #57 of the Toronto Blue Jays smiles ahead of their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 2, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
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Shane Bieber With Toronto:
Bieber will assume a role in the Blue Jays rotation that currently includes Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Kevin Gausman.
At the start of play August 20, the Blue Jays had a comfortable lead over both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the American League East Division.
With a record of 74-53, fangraphs.com lists Toronto with a 76.7% chance of winning the division, and a 99.1% chance of making the playoffs.
Shane Bieber has playoff pitching experience with Cleveland. He is not a stranger to high-pressure mound appearances.
Bieber made a start in the 2020 American League Wild Card. a start in the 2022 American League Wild Card, and another in the 2022 American League Division Series.
Now, after his entire career pitching for the Cleveland franchise, Shane Bieber will try to add a boost to the Toronto Blue Jays playoff hopes.
Bieber may be just the guy to do that.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/berniepleskoff/2025/08/20/healthy-shane-bieber-set-totake-the-mound-for-toronto-blue-jays/
