What happened to Shane Bieber? Guardians ace suddenly pulled from upcoming start

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber was slated to get the ball on Monday but was scratched from his start. He underwent an MRI of his forearm/elbow, which has been bothering him.

Manager Terry Francona told reporters on Friday that it has been an issue for a few weeks, and his stats show it. The Guardians do not want to risk further injury, so Bieber will be considered day-to-day until the team gets the MRI results back.

This is quite the news for the Guardians, battling to stay atop the American League Central. They currently hold a 0.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins with a record of 45-45.

Shane Bieber has been working as the team's ace this season. This is especially true with Triston McKenzie starting the season on the IL. Cleveland undoubtedly needs both Bieber and McKenzie in the rotation to be truly competitive.

Shane Bieber's injury could be the cause for his underwhelming performances this season

This season, Shane Bieber has not looked like the same pitcher that won the American League Cy Young Award in 2020. So far, he has compiled a 5-6 record with a 3.77 ERA in 117 innings pitched. Aside from his rookie season, this is the highest Bieber has ever seen his ERA in the big leagues.

The Cleveland Guardians will hope nothing serious comes from the MRI, and he is just in a slump. They are in a prime position to run away with the division, as it seems to be between them and the Minnesota Twins.

The Guardians get their second half of the season started against the Texas Rangers. Given how good the Rangers look this season and Cleveland operating on a short rotation, this first series could test them.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom