The Cleveland Guardians delivered unexpected and disheartening news regarding their ace pitcher, Shane Bieber, revealing that he will undergo Tommy John surgery and consequently miss the remainder of the 2024 season, as announced on Saturday. In their statement, the Guardians disclosed that Bieber had been experiencing elbow discomfort following his initial two starts, and subsequent evaluations confirmed a re-injury to his UCL, necessitating surgical intervention.
Last year, Bieber confronted a similar elbow ailment but managed to avoid surgery. Unfortunately, the current situation represents a recurrence of the previous issue, and Bieber’s fortunes have taken a different turn this time around.
Shane Bieber, UCL reconstruction, Guardians announce. Man. pic.twitter.com/RzgqFYJxzW
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) April 6, 2024
Despite Bieber’s stellar performance in his first two starts of the season, where he showcased remarkable form by not conceding a run and tallying 20 strikeouts over 12 innings while issuing only one walk, there were no evident signs of any underlying issues. His contributions were pivotal in propelling the Guardians to a promising 6-2 start to the season. Regrettably, he will be sidelined until the 2025 season.
Bieber has been a cornerstone of the Guardians’ pitching rotation for several years, serving as their undisputed ace. As the recipient of the 2020 AL Cy Young Award and boasting a career ERA of 3.22, along with three top-ten finishes in Cy Young voting, Bieber’s absence represents a significant loss for the team.
