Guardians ace Shane Bieber to have season-ending Tommy John surgery

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Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber will have season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery, a major blow to the team and the 2020 Cy Young winner.

Bieber, who missed several months last season with elbow issues, experienced pain following an opening-day start in Oakland and again this week against Seattle. The right-hander underwent imaging tests, and reconstructive surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament was recommended by several doctors.

The recovery time can take up to 16 months following the surgery.

Bieber is entering his final year under contract with the Guardians, who are off to a 6-2 start heading into Saturday's game in Minnesota.

The team said Dr. Keith Meister will perform Bieber's surgery in Dallas in the near future.

The 28-year-old Bieber is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 134 career starts with Cleveland. He led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts in the pandemic-shortened '20 season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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