'Like riding a bike': Bieber takes next step in return to mound

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- ¡°Oh my God, Biebs!¡±

Austin Hedges voiced what a lot of people on-hand were thinking as he strolled into the bullpen area to catch Shane Bieber on Saturday morning.

Here was the Guardians¡¯ ace, who doubled as their key offseason acquisition, making the most significant step yet in his recovery from Tommy John surgery by throwing off a mound for the very first time.

¡°I have no idea where it¡¯s going,¡± Bieber jokingly warned his batterymate.

Fear not. In this 15-pitch session, it went directly to the catcher, as intended. And Bieber¡¯s velocity -- in the 87-89 mph range -- was a tick or two higher than he anticipated at this nascent stage of his mound work.

He looked good, in other words.

¡°Like riding a bike,¡± a smiling Bieber said afterward.

Bieber has a lot of reasons to smile right now. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner is on the doorstep not just of his anticipated Major League return but also fatherhood. His wife, Kara, will give birth to the couple¡¯s first child -- a boy -- any day now. And so Bieber has been immersed in all things medical, both the patient recovery process from surgery and the birthing classes he¡¯s attended with his bride.

¡°Kara's awesome, she's badass, and so her having the approach and the mentality and the calmness that she does and the confidence that she does rubs off on me,¡± Bieber said. ¡°It will be surreal, that whole experience. But it¡¯s very exciting. We¡¯re introducing a lot of change, so I¡¯m happy that this is not one of them.¡±

He said ¡°this¡± while pointing to the ground in the Guardians¡¯ clubhouse -- a place he chose to return to in free agency despite there being more lucrative opportunities elsewhere.

Rather than placing his value on an upfront payday, the 29-year-old Bieber prioritized continuity in his recovery process and working with people -- the training staff and the pitching staff guided by Carl Willis -- that he is comfortable with. He signed a modest one-year, $10 million contract, with a $16 million player option for 2026.

¡°I guess the temptation, or whatever you want to call it, was different clubs offering different things,¡± he said. ¡°But for me, you work so hard and, in baseball, it takes a long time to get to free agency. ¡®What does that get you? What does that afford you? Is it more money you want?¡¯

¡°Obviously, it depends on what situation you're in. My situation is a little bit different. Free agency afforded me the privilege to be able to choose from various different offers, and Cleveland offered so many intangibles that other clubs just couldn't match -- with the people, my teammates, the rehab staff that already knows me and my situation well. All that, along with my family being comfortable, just meant a lot.¡±

The result, the Guards hope, is a seamless transition for the Biebs, who had to watch in support but also agony as this club achieved great things without him last year.

¡°I missed the [not fun] parts of the season, honestly,¡± Bieber said. ¡°August? It sucks, man. It's hard. It¡¯s not a contact sport, but it can be grueling in a bunch of different ways. I missed grinding through those days. And in my exit meeting, I just told the front office and Vogter [manager Stephen Vogt] and Carl that I felt like there was unfinished business here.¡±

After a 2024 season in which Cleveland reached the ALCS despite enormous roadblocks in their rotation (Bieber¡¯s exit with the elbow ligament tear in just his second start of the season chief among them), the return of a healthy Bieber at some point midyear (putting an exact date on it is fruitless at this point) could be one of those ¡°Better Than Anything Available at the Trade Deadline¡± boosts.

Baby steps, though. That¡¯s what Bieber has learned.

One year ago, he was confident that the work he had put in the previous offseason would return him to elite standing. Then he made the Opening Day start in cold Bay Area weather and had trouble gripping the slick baseball. Five days later, in Seattle, the ligament snapped, and, just like that, Bieber¡¯s eagerly awaited walk year was over.

So he¡¯s learned to be patient, relying on the wisdom of his rehab team much like he¡¯ll soon (maybe by the time you¡¯re done reading this) rely on the wisdom of the obstetrician and nurses who will bring his baby boy into the world.

¡°We¡¯re confident,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re ready to go.¡±

And soon, he¡¯ll be ready to go back to doing what he loves.