Cleveland Guardians: Let’s take solace in Shane Bieber’s shoulder being 100%

Whenever the Cleveland Guardians’ season gets underway, it looks like they’ll have pitcher Shane Bieber back at 100%.

Perhaps the biggest blow to Cleveland’s 2021 season was the right shoulder injury to ace Shane Bieber, who missed more than three months with the strain.

But as the MLB lockout rages on, perhaps we can look forward just for a moment to a time when there is a new CBA and the Guardians are finally preparing for their new-look season. Which, whenever that time comes, will include a fully healthy Bieber:

There have been some videos of Bieber throwing recently, staying in shape as MLB’s owners and the players’ union duke it out over a new collective bargaining agreement. And even though he came back to make two starts last September, it’s great to hear Bieber himself say that he’s been feeling 100% for a while now.

Bieber, of course won the 2020 AL Cy Young with an incredible 1.63 ERA in 12 starts during that shortened season. But it seemed Bieber was putting himself right back in the Cy Young conversation last year too before getting hurt, as he put together a 3.28 ERA in 14 starts with a mind-blowing 130 strikeouts.

It’s a shame the 2022 season is already delayed (and is no doubt going to be delayed further) because a rotation that features Bieber, Zach Plesac (also seen throwing in that video above), Aaron Civale, Cal Quantrill, and Triston McKenzie should really get Guardians fans salivating.