Guardians' Shane Bieber Reacts After First Bullpen Session Since Surgery

Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber discusses his first bullpen session since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Mar 2, 2024; Goodyear, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Shane Bieber has already taken some massive steps since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April.

The Cleveland Guardians' longtime ace arguably took his biggest step in his rehab process on Saturday as he participated in his first official bullpen session since the surgery.

After the session, Bieber answered a few questions from the media and expressed his joy at being back on the mound and he physically felt fairly good.

"Felt great, felt natural. Like I said earlier, it felt like riding a bike, and I was very happy to do it. It's been a long time coming and a lot of preparation leading up to this point. I'm happy to continue," said Bieber.

"It was about what I expected, maybe a little bit better. Like I said, it was not surprising, but I was happy to have that result. Just coming out clean, free, and easy, and I'm really happy with it today."

Bieber only threw 15 pitches during this session, and his velocity was reported to be between 87 and 89 mpg.

That's still not exactly where he was before the injury, but is still shows tremendous progress.

While Bieber still has a long way to go, and there is still no timetable for his return to a major league game, this is still a great sign for a player who missed essentially all of the 2024 season.

The Guardians are still in desperate need of more starting pitching, and Bieber will be a great boost for the team once he is ready to return to the mound.

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