Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) threw a July 1 bullpen session that went "really well," according to manager Stephen Vogt. The Guardians are determining next steps for the former AL Cy Young winner. Bieber suffered a setback a few weeks ago in his recovery from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, but he has gotten back on track since then. The Guardians are optimistic that he'll return in the second half of July. Bieber totaled just 12 innings last season after posting a 3.80 ERA with 7.52 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9 over 128 frames in 2023. Having undergone major surgery since then, fantasy managers should temper expectations when the former ace comes back this year.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) is expected to progress to throwing live batting practice this week, according to MLB.com. Bieber threw bullpen sessions featuring all of his pitches on June 24, 26 and 27 as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old veteran is currently on the 60-day injured list but could be activated to make his 2025 season debut by mid-to-late July. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Bieber doesn't make it back until August, but barring a setback, he's fully expected to rejoin the Guardians' starting rotation at some point in the second half. While Bieber could be useful as a back-of-the-rotation arm in mixed fantasy leagues, expectations should be tempered for a pitcher who looked like he was on the decline before his elbow issues. The former Cy Young winner's velocity and strikeout rates had dropped noticeably in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) has been ramping up his activities over the past few days, throwing a 20-pitch bullpen on Tuesday and throwing another one on Thursday, and "felt really good," manager Stephen Vogt said. At this point, it remains unclear whether Bieber will resume his rehab assignment or if further preparation is necessary. Bieber was ramping up in early June in Double-A Akron and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League before experiencing minor elbow soreness, which he has seemingly overcome after a few weeks off, and has now followed that up with a few bullpen sessions. Fantasy managers will want to continue to stash Bieber on their injured list spots, as he is a former Cy Young award winner with a career 3.22 ERA in 843 innings pitched and could contribute over the last month of the season and into the playoffs.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) received a positive update this week on his surgically-repaired elbow. Bieber, who is recovering from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, had to halt his rehab last week after experiencing soreness. Dr. Keith Meister informed Bieber he's dealing with normal soreness, not any structural damage. Manager Stephen Vogt expects Bieber to "resume his throwing program in the next few days," per Josh Kirshenbaum of MLB.com. The former Cy Young winner's return to the majors is not imminent, but at least he remains on track to pitch in the bigs this year.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) will be shut down from throwing until the middle of next week after soreness surfaced in his surgically-repaired right elbow last week, according to MLB.com's Zack Meisel. Bieber will be re-evaluated then to determine if he's ready to continue his throwing progression. After reporting soreness following a recent bullpen session, Bieber was scratched from his scheduled minor-league rehab start with Double-A Akron on Friday, and he was also scheduled to meet with Dr. Keith Meister. It sounds like the 30-year-old veteran doesn't have any structural damage after having Tommy John surgery in April of last year. In a best-case scenario, Bieber probably won't make his 2025 debut until August. He's a two-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, but Bieber will be a true wild card when he returns and will also have a strict cap on his workload.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) has been scratched from his minor-league rehab start on Friday for Double-A Akron after reporting right-elbow soreness after throwing a bullpen session the other day, according to MLB.com's Zack Meisel. Bieber met with team doctors and will consult with Dr. Keith Meister to figure out the next step. The 30-year-old's first rehab start came in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where Bieber threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. It's unclear exactly what this means for Bieber, but it's not great news after he made only two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Even without a setback with his surgically-repaired right elbow, the two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner was looking at a 2025 debut in the second half of the season. Any setbacks at this juncture could result in Bieber missing all of this year. Stay tuned.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) was sharp on the mound during a rehab start for Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Saturday. Bieber tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out five batters along the way. This was his first start since having Tommy John surgery last year. This is only the beginning for Bieber, but it's a solid start. He figures to need a handful of starts before being cleared to return to the big league rotation. The hope is that Bieber can contribute in the Guardians' rotation by early July.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) will make his first minor-league rehab start on Saturday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, according to Guardians Prospective. Bieber is progressing from Tommy John surgery in April of last year and is finally ready to resume pitching in games. It's a big step for the two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner, but he still has a ways to go and isn't expected to make his 2025 debut until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Like all pitchers returning from TJ surgery, Bieber will be a wild card for both the Guardians and fantasy managers when he returns later this season. The former fantasy ace was trending in the wrong direction with both his strikeout and walk rates before his elbow injury, which will make him even more unpredictable when he rejoins Cleveland's starting rotation.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) threw live batting practice on Friday. According to manager Stephen Vogt, the session went "well," but he still has a "ways to go." Bieber is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Bieber underwent the surgery after logging just 12 innings during the start of the 2024 season. During those 12 innings, Bieber looked sharp as he struck out 20 batters, did not allow a run, and held a 0.92 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression, but the 29-year-old will likely not be in the mix to return to the majors until the second half of the campaign. However, seeing that he is already throwing live batting practice, the right-hander could be in line to make his first rehab appearance in June. When he does return, he should hold solid value in standard formats, as he posted a 3.80 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP across 128 innings in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) is scheduled to start throwing in extended spring training games at the team's spring training complex in Arizona in May. The Arizona Complex League Opening Day is this Saturday, May 3. Bieber still has a ways to go while recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in mid-April of last year, though, so fantasy managers stashing him need to remain patient. The 29-year-old veteran will eventually need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment and will not be ready to make his 2025 season debut until around the All-Star break in mid-July. Bieber has been excellent for fantasy managers in the past, but you shouldn't be expecting greatness in the second half this year for a pitcher whose velocity and strikeouts have been heading in the wrong direction.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow), who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw his fifth bullpen session of camp on Tuesday and has progressed to throwing five days a week in addition to extending his throwing distance out to 135 feet. Bieber is making good progress and is on schedule in his recovery from TJ surgery, but he's still not expected to return to Cleveland's starting rotation until around midseason, barring any setbacks. Because the 29-year-old could miss half of the season, he'll be a complete wild card in fantasy and could struggle to regain his pinpoint control and command upon his return. Bieber looked good in two starts last year before being shut down, but before that, his velocity and strikeouts were trending in the wrong direction for fantasy managers. He's not in RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitcher rankings in 2025.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) continues to recover from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April of last year at the team's spring training complex in Arizona. He has been able to progress his throwing to five days per week and his throwing distance out to 120 feet. Bieber will initiate his mound progression in mid-February. Because of the timing of the 29-year-old's surgery, he's not expected to be able to rejoin Cleveland's starting rotation in 2025 until around midseason. He was also dealing with elbow concerns in 2023, so hopefully he'll be able to put his arm issues behind him and be productive for the Cleveland rotation in the second half of the year. But the fact that Bieber will miss at least half the season puts him outside the top-100 fantasy starting pitchers this spring. Even before his injury, Bieber's velocity and strikeout numbers were trending in the wrong direction.

According to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) is not expected to rejoin the starting rotation until midway through the season. Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery last April after making just two starts. During this short stint, the 29-year-old struck out 20 batters in 20 innings and did not allow a run. Earlier in December, it was reported that Bieber began throwing from 90 feet. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status during the first half of the season. While sidelined, Tanner Bibee will operate as the ace of the staff, as he did through almost all of the 2024 campaign. In addition, with Bieber sidelined, Luis L. Ortiz, Triston McKenzie, and Slade Cecconi will compete for the final spot in the rotation.

According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) is throwing from 90 feet three times per week. Withers noted that Bieber expressed that he is confident but still has "a long way to go." Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery last April and was only able to make two starts last season. Across these 12 frames, the former Cy Young winner held a perfect 0.00 ERA with a stellar 0.92 WHIP. During the 2023 campaign, the right-hander posted a 3.80 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. While this is a great sign to see him progress in his throwing program, fantasy managers should not expect him to return to the major league mound at least a few months into the 2025 campaign. However, if he continues to progress without facing any setbacks, he could be worth targeting in deeper formats as a high-upside stash candidate.

Free-agent right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) and the Cleveland Guardians agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal on Friday that includes a $16 million player option for the 2026 season, according to sources. Bieber has chosen to return on a one-year pact after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in April. He isn't expected to return until the middle of 2025, so it makes sense for him to return to the Guardians to try and boost his value once again before potentially hitting the open market again next offseason. The two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young (2020) only made two starts in 2024 before going under the knife, but he was dominant with 20 strikeouts over 12 shutout innings. Bieber has been excellent in the past, but fantasy managers would be foolish to assume he'll suddenly regain velocity and whiffs in his return from TJ surgery in 2025. He'll be a risk/reward fantasy starter on the cheap.

Right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) and the Cleveland Guardians were dealt a brutal blow on Saturday after announcing that Bieber will need Tommy John surgery on his injured elbow (UCL). Bieber had been off to a very strong start to the 2024 season, dominating in his first two appearances and looking like one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Now surgery is being recommended to deal with his recurring issues. Bieber was placed on the injured list last season with forearm irritation on the same arm and was experiencing a recurrence of pain this season as well after each of his first two starts. Bieber will miss the rest of the 2024 season, and fantasy baseball managers will need to hit the waiver wire this weekend to find a replacement pitcher.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber continued his hot start in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Mariners. The 28-year-old improved to 2-0, tossing six scoreless innings with six hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts. Bieber has rebounded nicely in 2024 after a lackluster 2023 and has yet to allow a run with an impressive 20 strikeouts through his first two starts. He should have plenty of opportunity to put up another big strikeout total in his next projected start against the White Sox.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber was dominant in his Opening Day victory against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. Yes, it was the Oakland A's lineup, but Bieber was straight up filthy over six innings. In his quality start, he allowed four hits, zero runs, one walk and struck out 11 on the evening. Bieber was great this spring in the Cactus League and that carried over last night. Bieber is still just 28, but has a lot of mileage on his arm. Managers shouldn't expect this type of dominance every start, but he is off to a good start and will look to keep it going versus a much tougher Seattle Mariners lineup on the road.

Right-hander Shane Bieber has officially been named the Cleveland Guardians' Opening Day starter on March 28 against the Oakland Athletics on the road. It will be Bieber's fifth straight Opening Day start for Cleveland. The 28-year-old former fourth-round pick in 2016 out of Santa Barbara is a two-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner in 2020, so it shouldn't be surprising that he's getting another Opening Day nod. It's a fantastic matchup, too, so he should be in all fantasy starting lineups in single-year leagues. Bieber dealt with elbow issues last year and made only 21 starts, finishing with the second-highest ERA of his career at 3.80 (3.87 FIP). There were a lot of worrying trends from Bieber last year, and although he should no longer be considered a fantasy ace, with better health he should be able to be a solid No. 3 fantasy starter in a weak division.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber is scheduled to make his spring training debut on Saturday in a Cactus League matchup with the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander was the subject of some trade speculation last season and into the offseason but has ultimately remained with the Guardians. It was a down season by his standards in the 2023 campaign as the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner posted a 3.80 ERA, well above his 3.27 career mark, in an injury-shortened 21 starts. However, a major dip in strikeout rate to just 20.1%, well below his 27.8% career mark and half of the 41.1% clip he posted in 2020, was most crushing to fantasy managers. Given his excellent control and run-prevention ability, Bieber is still a solid fantasy asset.