On Monday, Toronto Blue Jays’ right-hander Shane Bieber took a big step in his return from right elbow inflammation that has forced him to miss the entirety of the 2026 season to this point. Bieber toed the rubber in a live game for the first time since Game 7 of the World Series on November 1st. The 30-year-old joined the Florida Complex League Blue Jays for Monday’s contest and turned in a line of 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
When speaking to the media on Friday before hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that the plan is for Bieber to make a second start, this time in Single-A, with the goal of reaching three innings, assuming Bieber’s arm bounces back as hoped for. The Blue Jays acquired Bieber prior to the 2026 MLB trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for pitching prospect Khal Stephen. Following the trade, Bieber made seven starts and went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, giving the Blue Jays another weapon out of their rotation as they hunted down the playoffs. During the postseason, Bieber made five appearances (four starts) and went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Bieber’s lone start of the World Series came during the Blue Jays’ Game 4 win, an outing where Bieber outdueled Shohei Ohtani, turning in a line of 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, and helping the Blue Jays even the series.
In November, Bieber opted in to his $16 million player option, keeping the former Cy Young Award winner another year in Toronto. Once healthy, Bieber figures to join a rotation that consists of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, and currently Patrick Corbin. Currently, the Blue Jays are going with a bullpen day to fill the fifth spot, and will have to make a decision to replace Dylan Cease. A healthy Bieber could be a key factor in keeping relievers’ arms fresh as the MLB regular season hits the dog days of summer.
