MLB Player News

Means (forearm) will get the start for Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday against Charlotte, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

Means struggled in his first rehab start Monday, giving up seven runs on six hits and a walk over just one inning. He'll look to have a bounce-back performance Saturday as he works through a left forearm strain that flared up at the start of spring training.

The Guardians placed Bieber (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, the Guardians announced that Bieber was diagnosed with ligament damage in his elbow following his second start of the season Tuesday in Seattle and will be headed for Tommy John surgery. Bieber will miss the rest of the season while he recovers from surgery and is set to miss a large portion of the 2025 campaign, an unfortunate development for the right-hander as he heads into free agency this winter. The Guardians will eventually move Bieber to the 60-day IL whenever the team decides it needs to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Peter Strzelecki was called up from Triple-A Columbus and will take Bieber's spot on the 26-man active roster and provide bullpen depth for now, but Strzelecki could be swapped out when Cleveland needs an arm to take Bieber's spot in the starting rotation.

The Guardians announced Saturday that Bieber will require season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

The season-ending injury is a devastating development for the Guardians and for Bieber, who was utterly dominant on the mound in his two starts this season, striking out 20 batters in 12 innings. However, he reportedly battled through pain in his elbow during outings March 28 in Oakland and Tuesday in Seattle, and reconstructive elbow surgery has since been recommended. Bieber will now miss the rest of the 2024 season and likely the start of the 2025 season, given that Tommy John surgery typically entails a 14-to-16-month recovery period.

Kopech (0-1) allowed one earned run on one hit and two walks while striking out three to take the loss Friday against the Royals.

Kopech entered the game in the eighth inning of a tied contest and walked the second batter he faced, which ultimately became the game-deciding run. He's now walked five batters across his first 5.1 innings of work, resulting in a 1.69 WHIP. Kopech's usage was also particualrly notable, as he was deployed in the perceived highest-leverage situation rather than being reserved for a save chance. He's still likely to regularly serve as the closer for the White Sox, though the door could be open for another reliever to pick up a handful of saves.

Crawford did not factor in the decision Friday against the Angels, allowing a run on two hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Crawford faced little pushback through four shutout frames before the Angels pushed a run across in the fifth and knocked him out of the contest. Despite the decent results, the 28-year-old forced just eight whiffs on 42 total swings. Through two starts, Crawford has posted a 12:4 K:BB while allowing one earned run over 10.2 frames. He's currently in line to face the Orioles at home next week.

Canning did not factor in the decision Friday against the Red Sox, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Canning struggled early, yielding all four runs on three homers in the second frame. He faced trouble on several other occasions but managed to limit the damage otherwise. The 27-year-old has given up nine runs over 9.2 innings to go with a 6:4 K:BB. Canning's velocity was down across the board, including his fastball which averaged just 92.5 mph. He's currently lined up to face the Rays at home next week.

Gilbert yielded four runs on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings and did not factor in the decision Friday. He fanned seven batters during a loss to Milwaukee.

Gilbert served up three solo homers Friday, including one to Willy Adames in the second inning to open the scoring. Last season, Gilbert allowed three homers just one time in his 32 starts. The 26-year-old forced 13 whiffs Friday, with five coming via the slider. Gilbert is currently on track for a start in Toronto next week.

Brown (0-1) allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks over three innings Friday, striking out three and taking a loss against Texas.

Brown worked around a bases-loaded situation in the first inning but then coughed up five runs in the second. Only 45 of his 80 pitches went for strikes, and he managed to force just five whiffs. Through two outings, Brown has thrown seven innings with a subpar 8:6 K:BB. He's projected to take the mound in Kansas City next week.

Singer did not factor into the decision Friday against the White Sox, allowing one run on two hits and one walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out four.

Singer could be putting together a resurgent 2024 campaign after another solid performance Friday night. The only blemish on his performance was a solo homer yielded to Gavin Sheets in the second inning. Singer has a 0.68 ERA and 14:2 K:BB through 13.1 innings but faces a more difficult test than the White Sox in his next start, which is currently scheduled to come at home against the Astros.

Fedde did not factor into the decision Friday against the Royals, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.

Although Fedde conceded a single run Friday night, he gave up plenty of hard contact, allowing eight batted balls in excess of 95 mph. The 31-year-old right-hander generated only three whiffs in his 91 total pitches, an ominous sign for his strikeout upside. Fedde is currently scheduled to pitch on the road against the Guardians in his next start.