The Cleveland Guardians on Monday moved right-handed ace Shane Bieber from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. The moves cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for the club and also means that Bieber will be sidelined until September with inflammation in his throwing elbow.
In a pair of corresponding moves, the Guardians also optioned left-hander Tim Herrin to Triple-A and recalled left-hander Daniel Norris.
Bieber first landed on the IL on July 12, which means he won't be eligible to return to the active roster until Sept. 10. Doctors ruled out surgery for Bieber, and initially the plan was to shut him down for roughly two weeks before he began ramping back up. Now, however, that timeline has been pushed back significantly.
Bieber's first 19 starts this season saw him pitch to a 3.77 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 2.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio. While those are solid outputs, they're well below his usual level of performance. Indeed, that's his worst ERA+ since his rookie season in 2018, and by far the lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio he's posted in the majors. As well, Bieber since last season has shown diminished velocity, and in 2023 his ability to get swings and misses has notably declined. All of that could be partly related to the underlying elbow issue.
The loss of Bieber means the deadline trade rumors surrounding him will not bear fruit, and it also strikes a blow against Cleveland's playoff hopes. They enter the week with a record of 49-50 record and three games behind the first-place Twins in the American League Central. SportsLine gives Cleveland a 39.7% chance of reaching the postseason.
