Cleveland Guardians’ Ace Pitcher Faces Grim Future Outlook
The outlook for Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber is looking increasingly bleak. While it seemed like he was nearing a return to the mound, the optimism surrounding his recovery has waned after a recent setback.
Bieber, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is desperately needed in the Guardians’ starting rotation. However, the question now looms: will he ever return to the form that earned him an AL Cy Young award?
Jack O’Rourke of The BIG Factor expressed serious doubts about Bieber’s future, highlighting concerns about his long-term ability to regain his previous level of performance.
“If you remove his name from the equation and just look at the situation—his injury history, the decline in velocity—I’d tell you that he might hang around as a control specialist until he’s 35, but I’m not convinced his arm talent will ever be the same,” O’Rourke remarked.
Once one of the most promising pitchers in the game, Bieber’s career has been plagued by injuries. Since 2023, the 30-year-old has made just 23 starts, and his injury troubles predate that.
In his last fully healthy season in 2022, Bieber was outstanding, posting a 2.88 ERA while allowing 172 hits and recording 198 strikeouts in 200 innings. But whether the Guardians—or any team—will ever see that version of him again remains uncertain.
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