Proper-hander Shane Bieber will begin for the Blue Jays on Friday. Supervisor John Schneider gave the information to reporters, together with Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, previous to at the moment’s sport. Bieber is at the moment on the 60-day injured listing and can have to be added to the roster earlier than that begin. The 40-man roster at the moment has a emptiness. If that isn’t stuffed earlier than Friday, then solely a corresponding lively roster transfer can be required.
Bieber can be making his anticipated crew debut in Miami because the Jays face the Marlins. The Jays simply acquired Bieber on the deadline, though he had not but completed his restoration from 2024 Tommy John surgical procedure.
The Jays are hoping that Bieber was their greatest wager for upgrading their playoff rotation. Their rotation in any other case incorporates a group of strong mid-rotation sort of fellows. Max Scherzer has been an ace previously however is now 41 years previous and has been working round an ongoing thumb drawback. Eric Lauer has a superb 2.76 earned run common this yr however he has middling velocity and he hardly pitched within the majors over the earlier two years. Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt are dependable veterans however few would think about them to be aces.
The height model of Bieber would leap to the entrance of the group, which is why the Jays had been prepared to surrender prospect Khal Stephen to get him. Bieber received a Cy Younger award again in 2020. He had a 1.63 ERA in that shortened season, putting out 41.1% of batters confronted. Nobody would have anticipated him to take care of that stage of manufacturing endlessly. His 2021 season was a drop from these heights however nonetheless superb. He had a 3.17 ERA and 31.1% strikeout charge, although a subscapularis pressure knocked him out of motion for about three months.
In 2022, he logged 200 innings with a 2.88 ERA however his strikeout charge dropped additional to 25%. The next yr, he solely struck out 20.1% of batters confronted as his ERA climbed to three.80. The primary warning indicators of elbow bother appeared that yr, as irritation put him on the IL for about two months. He started 2024 wholesome however made simply two begins earlier than getting knocked to the surgeon’s desk.
What model of Bieber exhibits up now’s anybody’s guess. For what it’s price, he has thrown 29 minor league innings this yr whereas rehabbing with a 1.86 ERA and 34.6% strikeout charge. Although solely the latest three outings have been on the Triple-A stage, with a 24.6% strikeout charge in these. He has been averaging 92.8 miles per hour on his fastball. He was at 94.1 mph again in 2020 however dropped to 92.7 in 2021 after which was within the 91-92 vary after that.
The Jays don’t essentially want Bieber to right away be good instantly. They’re mainly assured a playoff spot now and can possible be extra involved by what they will get out of Bieber in October. That offers them a bit greater than a month to evaluate his stuff and outcomes. The truth that his velo has come again in Triple-A is good however that’s not going to be sufficient. Sandy Alcantara has mainly received his velo to pre-surgery ranges this yr however has posted a 6.31 ERA on the season.
It’s unclear if the Jays will go along with a six-man rotation or bump somebody to a protracted aid function. They Jays begin a sequence in opposition to the Pirates in Pittsburgh tonight, with Gausman, Scherzer and Bassitt the scheduled starters. They’re off on Thursday. Schneider mentioned at the moment, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, that Saturday’s and Sunday’s starters are to be decided.
Whereas the approaching weeks are clearly vital for the Blue Jays, they are going to be large for Bieber personally as properly. At season’s finish, he can be selecting between a $16MM participant choice for 2026 and a $4MM buyout. If wholesome and in good type, he ought to have a straightforward option to take the buyout. Although if he struggles or will get damage once more, the selection will get harder.
Photograph courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Pictures
