Cleveland ace Shane Bieber throws rehab assignment, could pitch again this season

Cleveland's sole focus as the 2021 season winds down, as it pertains to ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, is geared toward 2022 and his long-term health. With that in mind, Bieber won't be rushed back if it's deemed at all medically risky.

But if the team and the medical staff agree that it could be in his best interest to get on a major league mound once or twice in the final weeks of the season, it remains possible that Bieber pitches again this year.

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Cleveland's ace threw a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus of 47 pitches on Tuesday night, tossing 2⅔ innings and allowing one run on three hits and striking out three. Bieber will throw at least one more rehab appearance in the minor leagues, but after that it could be possible that he will next pitch in the majors, even if it's a shortened outing.

That would be the team's preference, at least, if all goes well.

"It's hard to say, but I think it's important that he does pitch in a big league game this season," acting manager DeMarlo Hale said. "I don't want to say like I feel like we're up against it, but we're going to do the right thing. He felt good, nothing was major from his rehab start that I've heard of. Hopefully next week, maybe a rehab start again and hopefully that comes out very good and then we've got two weeks left, we'll try to slide him into pitching in a big league game.

"That's my wish. Granted, there's other people involved, the medical [staff] and Shane himself, but that's my wish, that he will get into a big league game before the season's over."

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Time is short, so any setback would likely mean that Bieber's season would be over. But barring that, it's expected he'll be able to make it back to a major league mound.

"We think that would be ideal," President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said. "We do think Shane's on track to be able to pitch in major league games before the end of the season. And as much as anything it could give them the peace of mind knowing that they're going into the offseason healthy and can have a normal offseason preparing for next season, rather than thinking about it more through the rehab lens."

Bieber was placed on the injured list on June 14 with a shoulder strain and has progressed through a slow rehab. Before hitting the IL, he was 7-4 with a 3.28 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 90⅔ innings.

Aaron Civale earns Cleveland's nominee for Roberto Clemente Award

Cleveland starter Aaron Civale was named the team's nominee for the 2021 Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball's annual recognition of a player who "best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field."

All 30 teams nominate one player, and fans can vote for the winner at mlb.com/clemente21 until Oct. 3, the end of the regular season.

"It means a lot. I’m a baseball player, but I think when you can take that beyond being a baseball player and take your platform and do something with that, I think that’s something a lot of us can do," Civale said. "This is awesome to have this award. There are 30 nominees in the league, but there are definitely not just 30 guys in the league participating in things like this. It’s definitely very special."

Civale, in an effort to bring a family connection to children battling cancer and illness, created his Pearls for Perseverance player program in 2021, which aims to "bring smiles and positivity to pediatric patients at the Cleveland Clinic." Civale signs his warm-up baseball before each start and ships it to the hospital to be given to a patient there. And he has partnered with Antonetti to host patients for batting practice at Progressive Field.

"We came up with the idea of Pearls for Perseverance. The acronym is PFP [pitchers fielding practice]," Civale said. "It’s a simple concept. If a pitcher throws a ball and you can’t get it, you have a defense behind you to take care of it. It’s the same concept with Pearls for Perseverance. You give it your best shot whatever you’re dealing with, knowing there’s a big support network behind you to take care of everything else if you can’t field it yourself."

Civale also volunteered at Camp Curiosity, a summer camp for youth in kindergarten through third grade at the Great Lakes Science Center. Civale's farther worked at a LEGO manufacturing company and would bring damaged LEGO kits home to the family on a regular basis. Civale went on to study mechanical engineering at Northeastern.

"I was raised to do the best you can and give back – leaving the world a better place than what you came into," he said. "I know that’s the way Roberto lived his life. If you can do that, you can go to sleep comfortable at night. Just try to make everyone around you better. ... do whatever you can to spread happiness. That kind of live is a little easier to live. It keeps you going in the right direction."

Cleveland at New York Yankees

Time: 7:05 p.m. Friday

TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes

Pitchers: Zach Plesac (10-5, 4.45) vs. TBA