Indians Ace Shane Bieber Goes On IL with Shoulder Injury

 

The Cleveland Indians have been hanging tough in the Wild Card race to this point of the season, but any lengthy absence of ace starter Shane Bieber would be devastating to their chances. Which makes today's news a bit problematic for Cleveland.

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber was placed on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder subscapularis muscle strain.https://t.co/7XJKUU9pQB

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) June 14, 2021

Bieber has been diagnosed with a right shoulder strain—a subscapularis muscle strain, to be exact—and placed on the 10-day injured list.

Bieber had been having another stellar campaign for the Indians, coming off his Cy Young performance last year. But Sunday night he suffered his worst loss of the season, getting blasted by the lowly Seattle Mariners for 10 hits and 5 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. That leaves Bieber with a 7-4 record and a 3.28 ERA on the year. 

One of the big problems facing the Indians when he does return, is the workload he's been taking on. Bieber leads the league in pitches per start, and has already surpassed his 2020 innings total. 

He's expected to be out for two weeks, but Cleveland will need to tread lightly with Bieber even after his return. 

Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports