Shane Bieber returned to the Toronto Blue Jays after April 2024 Tommy John surgery and showed near-peak stuff in his first big-league start, averaging a 92.7 mph fastball. He struck out nine Miami Marlins and produced 15 swings-and-misses, including seven on his slider and four on his changeup. Minor-league rehab outings produced a combined 2.03 ERA and a 32.7% strikeout rate, with one May outing affected by elbow soreness. The Blue Jays plan a six-man rotation that spaces Bieber’s turns, which limits short-term fantasy value, but his 90-pitch status and workload history suggest a regular starter pattern in the final five weeks.
Shane Bieber ( SP, Toronto Blue Jays) is that pitcher, acquired at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians, and looking pretty close to his peak form following his return from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. In Friday's outing, the right-hander averaged 92.7 mph with his fastball, his highest rate in any individual start since Aug. 14, 2022. He struck out nine Miami Marlins and got 15 swings-and-misses, including seven on his slider and four on his changeup.
This isn't to declare Bieber officially his 2020 Cy Young self, as pitchers coming off the surgery often take time -- months, in many cases -- to fully recapture the feel for their stuff. As the old Tommy John surgery axiom says, velocity typically returns first, then command. Bieber's command seemed plenty sharp in his 2025 big-league debut, and reports from his six start minor league rehabilitation stint (excluding one May start when he had some elbow soreness) reflected the same.
It remains to be seen how the Blue Jays will use Bieber come playoff time. For now, though, they'll utilize (at least in the short term) a six-man rotation that spaces out his appearances. That's a negative for fantasy purposes. However, considering his past history of handling big workloads, his current status as a 90-pitch starter (nearly a full-time starter already), and the relative ages of the remainder of the team's rotation, Bieber almost assuredly will handle a regular starter's pattern over these final five weeks.
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