Guardians trade Bieber to first-place Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays person acquired erstwhile Cy Young Award victor Shane Bieber successful a commercialized with the Cleveland Guardians.

Bieber has not pitched successful the majors since undergoing Tommy John country successful April 2024 but has made 3 minor-league rehab starts successful caller weeks and could supply a boost to Toronto's seasoned starting rotation.

The first-place Blue Jays traded minor-league right-hander Khal Stephen to the Guardians successful the deal, which was announced Thursday.

Bieber, 30, worked 4 innings successful his astir caller minor-league rehab outing Tuesday with Double-A Akron, striking retired 7 connected 57 pitches. The right-hander had been slated for his adjacent rehab commencement Sunday astatine Triple-A Columbus and was expected to rejoin Cleveland's rotation astatine immoderate constituent successful August.

Bieber is simply a two-time All-Star who won the AL Cy Young successful the COVID-shortened 2020 season, erstwhile helium led the league successful wins (8), ERA (1.63) and strikeouts (122). He is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA implicit parts of 7 seasons with the Guardians.

The Blue Jays, who entered Thursday with a four-game pb implicit the New York Yankees atop the AL East, person a squad ERA of 4.27, the ninth-worst successful the majors.

Bieber would articulation a Blue Jays rotation that includes Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios. Veteran left-hander Eric Lauer has served arsenic Toronto's 5th starter implicit the past 2 months but could instrumentality to a bullpen relation erstwhile Bieber is acceptable to instrumentality to the majors.