The Toronto Blue Jays got a major injury update on former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.
Bieber has yet to pitch in the MLB this season, as Toronto was going to ease him in after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He returned last year for the Blue Jays after they acquired him at the trade deadline, and was a key part of the team’s World Series run.
After the World Series run, Bieber decided to opt into his deal, and it was revealed that he then had some forearm soreness. However, the former Cy Young Award winner is now getting closer to a return.
The Dunedin Blue Jays, the High A affiliate of Toronto, announced that Bieber will have his first rehab start on Sunday.
Bieber is a two-time MLB All-Star and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2020 while he was with the Cleveland Guardians. The hope is that Bieber will only have to make a couple of rehab starts before returning to the Blue Jays rotation, which would be a big boost due to the injuries.
Currently, Toronto is doing two bullpen days a week, but help is on the way with Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Dylan Cease all close to returning.
Bieber Dealt With Forearm Injury
Although Bieber pitched well after returning for the Blue Jays, he dealt with a forearm injury in the offseason.
When Bieber reported to spring training, it was revealed that he dealt with some forearm tightness, and The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon wasn’t sure if that played into his decision to opt into his deal.
“Bieber dealt with forearm fatigue at the end of the season, a person briefed on the matter said, but has since begun offseason recovery and rehab work. It’s not entirely clear if the forearm ailment entirely caused Bieber to pick up his player option and avoid the unknowns of free agency, but it likely factored into his decision,” Bannon wrote.
The news was different than what Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said back in December about Bieber.
“As of right now, he’s in a strong position,” Atkins said. “And I suppose as he starts to ramp up, we could consider some stagger and the potential of him, you know, not being at 100 per cent at the very start, but we’re taking it kind of a week at a time at this point with Shane”
Bieber went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 7 starts for the Blue Jays last season. In the playoffs, he was 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA.
Blue Jays Blow Game To Orioles
Toronto suffered a stunning 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday after leading 5-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Reliever Jeff Hoffman struggled once again to blow the game, as manager John Schneider felt like it was a command issue.
“Just command with the slider, split,” Schneider said of Hoffman’s struggles. “They put some good swings on some sliders down, and then he just kind of lost the zone for the walks. Kind of a theme for today. Then you put Connor in a tough spot there.”
The Blue Jays still won the first two games of the four-game series and will look for the series win on Sunday.
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