The Blue Jays‘ rotation is close to getting a major boost, as Shane Bieber is in the final steps of his rehab. Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports that they’ll wait until after his side session to make any announcement.
Zwelling also reports that Bieber’s side session will be on June 20, during the Blue Jays series against the Chicago Cubs. Assuming all goes well, he’ll be on track to start on June 22 against the Houston Astros.
“All signs point towards he’ll be ready to go,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Zwelling.
Bieber has completed five rehab starts, as he’s required the full build-up. He commented on his last start, encouraged that his stuff held throughout the outing despite funky results. The side session will be the final step before his return.
Blue Jays’ Rotation Situation With Shane Bieber Returning from Injury
The Blue Jays have battled rotation injuries all season. They’ve lost Bowden Francis, Jose Berrios, and Cody Ponce to season-ending injuries. Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, and Max Scherzer have spent time on the injured list.
However, the Blue Jays’ rotation is starting to get healthier. Cease’s injured list stint was just the minimum 15 days, and Bieber is nearing a return.
They’re hoping a healthy rotation will allow them to go on a run and get back into the postseason race. Entering play on June 19, they are tied with the Athletics for the American League’s third Wild Card.
Once he’s back, their starting five will be Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and Patrick Corbin. They also have Scherzer as an option, although he’s on the 15-day injured list with back spasms.
The Blue Jays might be in an interesting situation once Scherzer’s back problems resolve. He told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson he can still help the team win once healthy.
But the club has to consider which arms to keep in the rotation and who pitches out of the bullpen. The latter seems the likelier route for the 41-year-old.
Assuming good health the rest of the way, the rotation becomes less of a need for the Blue Jays to address at the deadline. Instead, their primary focus could shift to their starting lineup and bullpen.
Who Do the Blue Jays Send Down for Shane Bieber Move
The Blue Jays have two spots open on their 40-man roster, so they don’t have to make a move on that front. Instead, the focus is solely on the active roster.
Toronto can only carry 13 pitchers, so they’ll send one down. There aren’t many obvious candidates to bump off. Spencer Miles is a Rule 5 pick, so he has to spend the entire season on the roster. If not, he gets offered back to the San Francisco Giants for $50K, assuming he passes waivers.
There are multiple relievers with options, but most of them have pitched well. That leaves just left-hander Brendon Little as the most obvious candidate. Little was recently called up to the active roster after Chad Dallas completed his emergency appearance. Dallas pitched in place of Max Scherzer, who was scratched from his scheduled start.
Blue Jays Reveal Final Step Before Shane Bieber Returns