Toronto Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber one step closer, 'feels great' after rehab outing with Bisons
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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber spoke to the media following his first rehab outing with the Buffalo Bisons and says he's one step closer to Toronto.
Shane Bieber shared his thoughts before and after his fifth rehab start, this the first with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
«I'm close now,» Bieber said ahead of the outing. «It's easier said than done to just take it one day at a time, but I'm gonna do just that.»
Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber completes first rehab in Triple-A says he 'feels great'
Bieber completed a fifth rehab outing on Sunday, three days after his trade to Toronto.
He threw five innings for Triple-A Buffalo, striking out six batters and allowing two earned runs.
The Syracuse Mets' damage came on a ground-ball single in the second frame and a solo shot in the third.
Bieber reached 62 pitches with efficient innings and will likely require at least one more rehab outing to build up further.
The Blue Jays hope Shane Bieber will soon be a solid 6th option to the rotation
«It's just another step in the right direction. Maybe a little bit of nerves, but nothing crazy. Probably nothing compared to what it's going to feel like pitching in Toronto,» he said afterwards. «I feel really good. I feel excited to continue to progress. Excited to be in a fresh situation. That always injects a little bit of excitement. So, everything's going well. Body, arm, mind and everything feels great.»
At his best, Bieber is a conniving pitcher. His velocity doesn't overwhelm, and none of his five pitches rank above average in models such as Stuff+. He frustrates, instead, with location, tunneling and sequencing.
Blue Jays teammates welcome Bieber with open arms especially former teammate Ernie Clement
Ernie Clement played behind Bieber for two years in Cleveland.
That version of Bieber posted a 2.97 ERA across 2021 and 2022, following up a Cy Young campaign with continued dominance.
He's one of the easiest pitchers to field behind, Clement said, because «he just strikes everybody out.»
«Everybody seems fantastic. They've welcomed me with open arms. I definitely want to go out there and perform my best for them and for the city.
«It's been a long road. I try not to get too emotional thinking about it. I'll have time in the off-season to let it all process. But it's definitely going to be a bit emotional getting back out there.»
| POLL | ||
AOUT 4 | 220 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber one step closer, 'feels great' after rehab outing with Bisons Do you think Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber will be ready for the series against the Dodgers? | ||
| Yes | 85 | 38.6 % |
| No | 104 | 47.3 % |
| Too early to tell | 31 | 14.1 % |
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