Ominous Development For Former Cy Young Winner Shane Bieber

This doesn't sound good for the Cleveland Guardians or starting pitcher Shane Bieber. The former Cy Young winner, who's been working his way back from Tommy John surgery, has been shut down in an ominous development, as he's experienced "discomfort" in his elbow following a bullpen session.

#Guardians say Shane Bieber will not pitch in Akron today after experiencing soreness following a bullpen session. pic.twitter.com/RyjSLMwBSE
— Cleveland Sports Talk (@CLEsportsTalk) June 6, 2025

Bieber was supposed to start for Akron in Double-A on Friday, but that's been called off, as he'll now instead have an appointment to consult with Dr. Keith Meister, the surgeon who performed his Tommy John procedure last April.

The 30-year-old had a strong first rehab start with the Guardians' Rookie Ball affiliate last week, striking out five batters in 2.1 scoreless innings.

It's an especially tough break for Cleveland, who also lost another strong starter, Ben Lively, to TJ surgery this season.

Bieber was hoping to make his 2025 debut in second half of season

Bieber was a free agent this past winter, but re-signed with Cleveland on a two-year, $26M deal. The two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner made just two starts in 2024 before going under the knife. He was hoping to make his 2025 debut in the second half of the season, but with this setback, that could be in doubt at this point.

Bieber has a 62-32 career mark, with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He has a 10.2 to 2.0 strikeout-to-walk mark per nine innings throughout his 136 career games. In the shortened 2020 season, he posted a 1.63 ERA with an 8-1 record and a 122:21 K/BB ratio to win the Cy Young.