Shane Bieber didn't hold back describing just how rough last night actually was.
The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander was pulled before recording the final out of the first inning, and he pointed to a physical issue behind the disaster.
Bieber said he had real trouble gripping the ball, an issue that clearly compounded whatever else went wrong on the mound.
"You have to find a way to get through it, right?" Bieber said. "I wasn't able to do that tonight."
That kind of honesty stands out, a pitcher acknowledging he simply couldn't overcome the problem rather than deflecting toward bad luck or umpiring.
He didn't shy away from the contrast with his own recent form either.
"So ultimately, followed up what was maybe my best start as a Blue Jay, with what was definitely my worst," Bieber said.
That's a jarring swing for any pitcher, going from arguably his finest outing in a Toronto uniform to his worst in back-to-back starts.
Why this kind of volatility complicates his trade value
Bieber sits at a 4.70 ERA across six starts this season, a number that includes both the encouraging stretch that raised his trade stock and this brutal setback that just muddied it again.
Grip issues can stem from anything, from a blister to simple mechanical inconsistency, and it's the kind of problem that often resolves on its own with rest, though it adds real uncertainty in the moment.
Toronto sits at 48-58, last in the American League East, with the trade deadline closing in fast, meaning every start Bieber makes right now carries outsized weight for how rival teams view him.
It's a bit like a stock swinging wildly in value within the same week, an encouraging rally followed immediately by a steep drop that leaves everyone reassessing.
Does this rough outing erase the goodwill Bieber built with his previous start, or do rival teams look past one bad night given how well he'd pitched just before it?
Toronto will need to see how Bieber responds physically before his next turn, with the deadline leaving little time to sort out exactly what went wrong.
Does last night's disaster start change how you view Shane Bieber's trade value?
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