Shane Bieber is being shut down from throwing after manager John Schneider revealed the Blue Jays starter is dealing with a teres major injury.
The issue surfaced Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Bieber experienced discomfort while throwing his bullpen. That was enough for Toronto to send him for further testing.
Bieber underwent an MRI that night in Toronto. Schneider said the imaging revealed a “mild-to-moderate” injury involving the teres major.
The immediate consequence is another interruption to Bieber's throwing program. Schneider said the right-hander will be down from throwing for “a couple weeks.”
That timetable matters because Bieber won't simply jump back onto a mound once the shutdown ends. He'll need to resume throwing and rebuild before Toronto can determine when he's ready for game action.
For the Blue Jays, the bullpen discomfort changes the conversation from routine preparation to another waiting period. Bieber's response when he begins throwing again will dictate how quickly the club can move him forward.
Blue Jays must wait on Shane Bieber
The location of the injury also makes Toronto's cautious approach easy to understand. The teres major is involved in shoulder movement, putting Bieber's ability to throw comfortably at the center of his next evaluation.
There's no immediate bullpen session to circle on the calendar. The first step is simply getting through the shutdown period without throwing and allowing the injury time to settle.
Once Bieber is cleared to restart, Toronto will have a better read on what comes next. Playing catch would represent progress, but mound work would be a more meaningful test of how his arm responds.
That leaves Schneider without a firm return date for Bieber. The “couple weeks” timeline applies to the throwing shutdown, not necessarily the point when the right-hander will be ready to take the ball in a game.
For Bieber, the setback arrived during a bullpen rather than in live competition. Catching the discomfort at that stage gave Toronto an opportunity to stop the process before asking him for another mound session.
Now the Blue Jays have to wait. Bieber's next throwing progression will carry far more weight after an MRI turned Sunday's discomfort into a confirmed teres major injury.
Should the Blue Jays take an extra-cautious approach with Shane Bieber?
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