Guardians’ Bieber out for season; Strider’s in doubt after MRI

CLEVELAND » Shane Bieber pitched until the pain stopped him.

Cleveland’s ace will have season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery, a major blow to the Guardians and the 2020 Cy Young winner, who had looked like his dominant self in two strong recent starts.

Bieber struck out a league-leading 20 and pitched 12 scoreless innings in starts against Oakland and Seattle despite the elbow getting progressively worse.

“Sheer toughness and grit,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said in describing how Bieber managed the pain and performed.

Bieber, who was limited to just 21 starts a year ago due to elbow issues, experienced pain following his opening-day start against the A’s.

The Guardians were concerned and gave him an extra day off while offering him additional treatment before facing the Mariners.

Bieber, 28, decided to make the start anyway, battling through six innings while the soreness and inflammation intensified.

He returned to Cleveland for more imaging tests and consultation. Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the renowned orthopedist who did surgery on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s right shoulder, recommended elbow reconstruction.

Bieber made the decision to have the operation on Friday night, knowing he’ll need up to 16 months to recover.

“He’s devastated by it,” Antonetti said on a Zoom call. “He feels as though he is letting a lot of people down. And I tried to reassure Shane that couldn’t be further from the truth because he embodies what it means to be a professional, what it means to be a great teammate and a great leader.”

MRI shows damage to Braves ace Spencer Strider’s elbow ligamentt

ATLANTA » Braves ace right-hander Spencer Strider has damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, an MRI revealed Saturday, leaving his status for the remainder of the season in doubt.

The Braves said Strider will be evaluated further by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date to be determined. Even though the team did not announce the severity of the damage, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said the result “wasn’t good.”

“You hate that,” Snitker said. “You hate it for him. I feel really bad for him. I mean, the kid does everything right. Loves to compete . ... We’ll just wait and see what they decide to do . ... I’m sure they’ll have something in a few days.”

Strider complained about discomfort in his elbow after pitching four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, in Atlanta’s 6-5 win over Arizona on Friday night.

Snitker said Strider did not mention the problem with his elbow until after the game.

Snitker acknowledged he braced for bad news from Saturday’s MRI.

“You never expect these things to be good or just a blip on the screen,” Snitker said, adding UCL injuries that often lead to seasonending Tommy John surgery are a problem across baseball.

“They’re throwing harder than ever and spinning the ball more than ever,” Snitker said, adding Strider’s long-term prospects remain bright.