CLEVELAND — Guardians ace Shane Bieber, who has not pitched since July 9 because of right elbow inflammation, was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday in a procedural move.
Manager Terry Francona said the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner did not experience a setback while rehabilitating in Cleveland, but is not on track to return until mid-September.
“Shane is actually self-reporting that he’s doing great, which we love hearing,” Francona said. “But when you do the math, it’s going to be another six days until he throws, then three weeks after that until he gets back on the mound. That’s six weeks right there.”
The 28-year-old right-hander was the lone Guardians pitcher to make all of his scheduled starts before the All-Star break, posting a 5-6 record with a 3.77 ERA in 19 games.
Bieber was placed on the 15-day IL following his July 9 outing against Kansas City, and a subsequent exam revealed no structural damage. The two-time All-Star is in the final year of his contract and was a candidate to be traded before being hurt.
By shifting him to the 60-day, Cleveland cleared a spot on its 40-man roster for left-hander Daniel Norris to have his contract selected from Triple-A Columbus.