Guardians RHP Shane Bieber (elbow) suffers rehab setback

Field Level Media|published: 06/06/2025, 10:12am EDT

Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber smiles as he takes the mound during the first inning of a rehab start for the Akron RubberDucks on Sept. 12, 2023, at Canal Park.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber was scratched from his scheduled rehab start on Friday due to soreness in his surgically repaired elbow.

The former American League Cy Young Award winner pitched just twice in 2024 before having Tommy John surgery in April. He was expected to miss at least half of the 2025 season.

Bieber experienced soreness after Tuesday's bullpen session with Double-A Akron. He is scheduled to consult with the physician who performed his surgery to figure out the next steps.

Bieber made a rehab start for the Arizona Complex League Guardians on May 31 -- his 30th birthday -- and allowed one hit with five strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

A two-time All-Star, Bieber won a Cy Young Award in 2020 and has a 62-32 record and 3.22 ERA in 136 games (134 starts) since his debut with Cleveland in 2018.

He reportedly agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Guardians in December. It reportedly includes a player option for $16 million in 2026 with a $4 million buyout.

--Field Level Media