Former American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber had a rough year in 2025, missing the first four months of the season as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery, only to be traded by the Cleveland Guardians to the Toronto Blue Jays at the July 31 deadline. With his new club, he remained idle until finally making his debut on Aug. 22.
On Tuesday, the Blue Jays announced that Bieber will now be idled again. The 30-year-old will open spring training on the injured list, Toronto manager John Schneider told reporters. Pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report to training camp in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday.
Though he made only seven starts for the Blue Jays in the regular season, Bieber made more than half that many in the postseason, turning in four, including Game 4 of the World Series, when he got the win by going 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits. But once the World Series was over, Bieber shocked the Blue Jays with an unexpected decision.
With an opt-out clause in his contract, Bieber was widely expected to test the free agent market over the offseason. Instead, on Nov. 5, he informed the Blue Jays that he was exercising his option to stay with the AL champions for one more season, at a salary of $16 million.
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The surprise move appeared to solve a major problem in the starting rotation for Toronto. According to MLB.com Blue Jays correspondent Keegan Matheson, Bieber’s decision was “a dream come true” for the team.
But that dream will be delayed. According to a report by Matheson, “right forearm inflammation that’s nagged him since the end of the 2025 World Series run” will send Bieber to the injured list just as spring training gets underway.
Schneider said the IL stint was simply the result of the team was “taking a really, really cautious approach” with Bieber, as quoted by Matheson.
The Blue Jays declined to detail a timeline for Bieber’s return to the Blue Jays rotation, but general manager Ross Atkins said that the team still expected the two-time All-Star to “pitch a lot” in the 2026 season and make a “significant impact” on the team.
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