‘He transcended eras’: What Dusty Baker means to baseball
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Buster Olney, ESPN Senior Writer
Dusty Baker’s Hall of Fame speech is going to be a doozy, because the man can drop more big names than anyone. He does it without trying, drawing from an anecdotal memory that covers most of a century. He played against Hoyt Wilhelm, a Hall of Fame pitcher born in 1922, and managed against Evan Carter, born in 2002. He can tell you about what it was like to watch Henry Aaron hammer his record-breaking 715th home run from the on-deck circle, and what it was like to manage Barry Bonds, who broke Aaron’s record.
He’s got stories about Jimi Hendrix, about Bill Russell the basketball player and Bill Russell the shortstop, about Joey Votto and Jose Altuve, about Tommy Lasorda and Tom Seaver, Roberto Clemente and Justin Verlander.
At the outset of spring training this season, ESPN carried a live segment from Astros camp in Florida, and the first question for Baker was this: Who did he hear from in the aftermath of the Astros’ championship in 2022 — Baker’s first as a manager? This was like throwing a hanging breaking ball to Yordan Alvarez — you knew that Baker’s answer was going to be spectacular, laden with star power. And he did not disappoint.
“Sandy Koufax, Barack Obama and Snoop Dogg,” he replied.
Johnnie B. Baker was a really good player, accumulating 1,981 hits, 242 homers, two All-Star appearances and a Gold Glove over 2,039 regular-season games. He is thought to have received the first high-five, in his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, from teammate Glenn Burke. Burke was gay, and Baker maintained a strong friendship with Burke even as teams cast Burke aside. And after his playing career ended, Baker was an even more accomplished manager; his 2,183 wins are seventh-most all-time. He is known as a players’ manager, dressing the part, with his trademark wristbands and spikes and the toothpicks that he gnawed on.
“Dusty was very hip in how he had a keen idea of where we were going, the city and region,” former Reds outfielder Jay Bruce wrote in a text. “In Texas, he’d be dressed in more of a Texas outfit, with cowboy boots. If we were in Miami, he’d have a linen suit on. In the Northeast, it was a pea coat and a beret style hat.
“Usually, when you see someone be so all over the map with something like the way they dress, it can come off as a bit forced. For whatever reason, with Dusty, it never seemed that way. It always fit him.”
If you walked past his office through the years, you were apt to see him deep in conversation with Joey Votto during his time with the Cincinnati Reds, or Bryce Harper when he managed the Washington Nationals, or some fringy player or an athletic trainer. He seemed to collect people. “He would have five to 10 — or more — people waiting for him after the game, from all different backgrounds and cultures and ages,” Bruce recalled. “It was very impressive and eye-opening to what type of guy he was. He transcended eras, and was just universally cool.”
Baker had been out of the game for three years in the winter of 2020, when Astros owner Jim Crane was faced with a unique problem. His franchise was under siege, after the revelations of the sign-stealing scandal of 2017 and the subsequent firing of manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. On one hand, Crane needed someone who could guide his franchise through the tumultuous months ahead, knowing Astros players — even those who weren’t on the team in 2017 — were doomed to be loudly booed in other parks. He also wanted someone with the experience to foster more success from a group of accomplished players.
He picked Baker, and the winning continued for the Astros. They would reach the American League Championship Series in each of his four seasons, losing to the Braves in the ’21 World Series before defeating the Phillies in 2022. Along the way, Baker continued to collect connections. Bruce wrote, “He’ll keep an eye on the clubhouse and when he sees or feels someone is a bit down or needs something, he brings them food — usually some type of homestyle or Southern type of dish — and he’ll just set it on their chair. No one ever asked for it, but he knew they needed it.
“Far beyond the field, he genuinely cared about his players and people in general. He took the time to get to know them and their families, and you felt like he was doing more than just managing a ballclub … In my experience those things are not happening in every clubhouse, and I believe that the culture created from those types of actions make a different, and really told me who Dusty was.”
The Astros acquired Trey Mancini just before the trade deadline in 2022, at a time when the front office was looking for an upgrade over Yuli Gurriel. But Mancini struggled with the Astros, batting .176 in 51 games, and despite feeling pressure from those above him to continue fielding Mancini in the playoffs, Baker chose to play Gurriel.
But in the midst of that postseason, the Astros played the New York Yankees in New York, and Baker went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and picked up an extra set of prayer beads for Mancini. Baker didn’t know for sure if Mancini is a practicing Catholic, but he knew Mancini attended Notre Dame and had a vowel as the last letter in his name. Hours later, Mancini spoke gratefully in the Houston clubhouse about the gesture. Mancini hadn’t played well for the Astros and wasn’t even a regular in the lineup, but Baker still had him top of mind at a time when he might’ve felt forgotten.
Verlander had never been credited with a World Series victory in his years as a pitcher before Game 5 of the 2022 World Series, and early in his outing that day, it appeared that streak would continue. Verlander’s stuff was flat, and the Astros’ bullpen was quickly active. But Baker waited for Verlander to come up with some combination of his pitches to work his way out of trouble, because, as Baker later explained, he had seen Verlander do that so many times before. Verlander got through five innings and qualified for his first postseason win, and when that game ended, Verlander met Baker near the mouth of the visiting dugout and gave him a huge hug. Baker trusted the player, trusted his heart.
Baker’s time with the Astros was not easy. Because of the timing of his hiring, and because Crane brought him on as a caretaker for an already successful group, Baker didn’t bring in his own set of coaches, and he clashed from time to time with the Houston front office. For the past two years, he fended off efforts to replace catcher Martin Maldonado, a light hitter with a knack for working with pitchers like Verlander. Late in the 2023 season, Baker was advised to give more playing time to Yainer Diaz, a younger catcher with more offensive potential, and Baker’s response, according to sources, was blunt: If somebody really wanted Diaz to catch, that person would bear the responsibility of telling Verlander, Framber Valdez and the other Houston pitchers. Maldonado would be the regular in the postseason.
But by his 26th year as manager, the 74-year-old Baker knew he was moving upstream against the relentless tide of analytics. He once told a story about making a lineup decision in the playoffs — moving Jeremy Pena to the No. 2 spot in 2022 — that went against the front office advice in Houston, and praying to his deceased father during a game that his choice would work out. (In that game, it did.) Baker’s eyes misted over as he related this. His last years as a manager were good years; they also were hard years. Now Baker can move on, to make summer-long connections with grandchildren and his two new hunting dogs. He’ll have more time for fishing.
Before he managed his last game of his career, in front of a small group of broadcasters in his office, Baker leaned forward over his desk and lit an incense stick, the smoke slowly rising as he explained his lineup choices. Along the way, he talked about the neediness of a young player in his clubhouse, and to illustrate his point, he cited an example from his own youth. When Baker played for the Braves, his locker was right next to Aaron’s, and Baker craved the attention and knowledge of an all-time great player. Eventually, Baker recalled, Aaron would look over to him wryly and say, yes, that was the time for questions and answers, and Baker would jump in.
It felt like a prelude to the speech he will give three years from now, when Baker will likely get his call for the Hall of Fame, when the Cooperstown lords summon him from a dock somewhere onto the stage in upstate New York. He will deliver warmth, grace, stories that reflect a long journey that was more difficult than he ever let on, but a time in the game that he deeply cherished, for the connections he fostered along the way, with Aaron and Mays, rappers and basketball players and light-hitting catchers, bat boys and presidents.
Here comes the American League!
The Detroit Tigers have retaken the No. 1 spot and are one of four AL teams in the top 10 in Week 10 alongside the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros — who cracked the top 10 for the first time this season.
The National League is still well-represented at the top of our list, with the usual powerhouses battling Detroit for first place.
Meanwhile, a number of clubs have continued their fall down our rankings this week, including the Boston Red Sox dropping to No. 22 and the Arizona Diamondbacks to No. 19, with each at its lowest ranking of 2025. Will they be able to overcome their struggles and bounce back?
Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 41-22
Previous ranking: 2
After serving up four home runs to the Rangers on May 10 and seeing his ERA rise to 4.61, Jack Flaherty has reeled off a 2.22 ERA over his past four starts. He is looking much more like the pitcher the Tigers had in the first half of 2024 before they traded him to the Dodgers then re-signed him as a free agent over the winter. In three of those four recent games, Flaherty threw his fastball just over 50% of the time, which he hadn’t done in any of his first eight starts. The Tigers also received consecutive scoreless starts from Keider Montero filling in for the injured Reese Olson. This rotation isn’t just Tarik Skubal. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-25
Previous ranking: 3
The Dodgers’ offense has kept L.A. in its familiar first-place perch despite widespread pitching struggles. The attack might be getting even more potent thanks to the sudden resurgence of Max Muncy, perhaps baseball’s hottest hitter. Muncy capped a seven-game stretch in which he hit .409/.500/1.227 with a game-tying homer in Tuesday’s dramatic extra-inning win over the Mets. It was Muncy’s sixth long ball of that stretch, during which he lifted his season OPS from .653 to .781. For the season, Muncy has a .945 OPS at Dodger Stadium, but an anemic .593 mark on the road. — Doolittle
Record: 39-23
Previous ranking: 6
Ronny Mauricio is back in the big leagues. The former top prospect debuted with the Mets in September 2023, but he tore an ACL in winter ball then had a second surgery last summer, ultimately missing the entire 2024 season. After hitting .515 with three home runs in nine games in Triple-A this year, the Mets called him up to replace the injured Mark Vientos on the roster. He went 0-for-4 on Tuesday while playing third base. The switch-hitter could get time at third, second and DH, although the Mets do have Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña capable of playing the infield, as well. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-23
Previous ranking: 4
Take 2 for Devin Williams. The Yankees righty is back in his closing role after Luke Weaver went down with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Will Williams be better this time around? The Yankees think so after he had a decent run as a middle man. He hadn’t given up a run in 10 of his previous 11 appearances before returning to the closer job. Just as important, Williams walked only one hitter during that time frame while striking out 15. His first test back at closer came on Tuesday. And while he passed — New York beat Cleveland 3-2 — he did give up a run in the ninth. So, stay tuned. — Rogers
Record: 37-24
Previous ranking: 1
After a hot stretch against the Pirates, Rockies, A’s and Braves that saw the Phillies win 11 of 12 games, Philadelphia got swept at home by the Brewers over the weekend, losing the three games by a combined score of 28-11. Jesus Luzardo allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in a 17-7 loss, seeing his ERA climb from 2.15 to 3.58. He became just the 12th pitcher in MLB history to allow as many as 12 runs while pitching 3⅓ innings or fewer. On the bright side, while Ranger Suarez allowed seven runs in his 2025 debut, he has since had three scoreless starts in five appearances (although he picked up a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Milwaukee as the bullpen blew a 2-1 lead). — Schoenfield
Record: 38-23
Previous ranking: 5
The Cubs are managing just fine without Shota Imanaga (hamstring) and Justin Steele (elbow), but they probably will look to augment their staff via trade come July. Chicago got a huge outing from second-year player Ben Brown over the weekend when he threw six shutout innings against the Reds, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out nine. It came after the team used lefty Drew Pomeranz as an opener. That trend could continue, as Brown is a two-pitch pitcher who has trouble going through a lineup three times and sometimes gets into first-inning trouble. An opener addresses both issues. — Rogers
Record: 35-25
Previous ranking: 7
As the Padres keep trying to patch up their hole-riddled lineup, Manny Machado continues to put up All-Star numbers in his 14th season. Machado has never hit .300 in a full season (he hit .304 in the shortened 2020 campaign), but he might get there this year as he suddenly has become a line-drive force. He is striking out less than at any time since 2021, yet his average exit velocity is the highest it’s been during that span. Machado is 32, but he shows every sign of graceful aging as he approaches the 2,000-hit milestone for his likely Hall-of-Fame career. — Doolittle
Record: 32-28
Previous ranking: 8
Seattle slipped behind Houston in the AL West since we last convened, but the news out of the Great Northwest is getting brighter. Starter Bryce Miller was activated from the injured list after a three-week stay. Even better, Logan Gilbert was slated for a second rehab start as his recovery from a balky elbow nears completion. If Gilbert is activated soon, the Mariners’ projected five-man rotation — Miller, Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo — will be intact for the first time all season. That Seattle spent so much time in first place despite that fact could portend a happy summer for Mariners fans. — Doolittle
Record: 34-28
Previous ranking: 9
The Giants have slid in the standings and the win-loss column of late, as their robust pitching staff hasn’t been able to carry an increasingly foundering offense. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski and Jung Hoo Lee all slowing after good starts, first-year general manager Buster Posey has started to shuffle the roster, most notably designating LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment. In the minors, top prospect Bryce Eldridge was moved from Double-A to Triple-A, so perhaps he could help later in the season. For all the shuffling, the key remains free-agent splash Willy Adames, who continues to labor with a sub-80 OPS+. — Doolittle
Record: 33-28
Previous ranking: 12
The Astros returned to the top of the AL West for the first time since the initial few days of the campaign. They accomplished this despite an ongoing plague of pitching injuries and the lingering unavailability of star slugger Yordan Alvarez. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Astros’ ability to remain afloat has been shortstop Jeremy Peña‘s emergence into a top-10 overall player in the AL. The 27-year-old has morphed from a high-strikeout, low-walk power threat to a complete package at the dish. Peña has slashed his whiff rate to elite levels, losing no power in the process while continuing to shine on defense. — Doolittle
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 10
The Cardinals are holding steady in the NL wild-card race despite an up-and-down week. But the question continues to linger in St. Louis: Can the Cardinals stay in the race long enough to convince the front office not to trade away their pending free agents? Inside the clubhouse, undoubtedly that answer is yes. It might get to the point that outgoing top decision-maker John Mozeliak decides to add. Why not take one more kick at the can? — Rogers
Record: 34-27
Previous ranking: 11
Chris Paddack is turning into one of the pleasant surprises of 2025. After the Twins acquired him from the Padres in 2022, he underwent Tommy John surgery after just five starts, wiping out nearly two full seasons. He had a 4.99 ERA last year in 17 starts, allowing a .283 average. He allowed nine runs in his first start this year, but he has posted a 2.47 ERA since then. He then enjoyed his best outing of the season on Sunday in Seattle, allowing one run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches (although he came away with a no-decision in a 2-1 loss). — Schoenfield
Record: 34-29
Previous ranking: 20
Finally. The Brewers are showing some life. An eight-game win streak that ended Tuesday night vaulted them into the playoff picture. Their offensive surge has been led by Christian Yelich — who hit .414 with a 1.1313 OPS during the win streak — but he’s not the only one doing damage. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick also had big weeks, contributing to a sweep in Philadelphia for the team’s signature series win so far this season. — Rogers
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 14
Jose Ramirez has been on extended hot streak. He had a 21-game hitting streak in May that included 11 multihit outings. After a hitless game on Friday, he followed with three straight two-hit games, raising his average to .330. Ramirez last hit .300 back in 2017, and his current OPS+ would be the second highest of his career, behind only the shortened 2020 season. He might not approach a 40/40 season like last year, when he fell one home run short, but he could be headed for a third 30/30 campaign. He should be the easy All-Star starter at third base for his fourth start in the Midsummer Classic and seventh selection. — Schoenfield
Record: 30-29
Previous ranking: 16
Junior Caminero is heating up, hitting .400 over a 10-game stretch that ended Tuesday. He hit five home runs and drove in a whopping 17 runs during that span, including a two-homer game against Houston over the weekend. He added another blast in Tuesday’s victory over Texas. He has been all over fastballs lately, hitting .292 on the season against them. His bat has helped push the Rays past .500 and back into the AL playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 27-33
Previous ranking: 15
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been terrific in his return from knee surgery, hitting .341/.413/.610 with three home runs in his first 11 games back. But the Braves also need a lift from Spencer Strider — and he hasn’t delivered it just yet. Strider made one start in April in his return from Tommy John surgery, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss a month. In three starts since coming off the IL, he has allowed 10 runs in 14 innings while walking seven batters and hitting three. He also served up three home runs in a loss to Arizona on Tuesday. It hasn’t helped that the lineup continues to scuffle, scoring just one run in each of two losses to the Red Sox. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 17
After tearing through Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .322 with 15 home runs in 50 games, Jac Caglianone made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday, going 0-for-5 in a 10-7 win over St. Louis. He hit sixth and served as the DH (after beginning to see some outfield reps in the minors). Despite the hitless outing, Caglianone showed off his potential, as he had four hard-hit balls of 95-plus mph. Three of those were groundouts, and one was a drive into right-center in his first at-bat that Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II made a fine running catch on. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 22
Toronto’s offense came to play against the A’s during a four-game sweep last week. The Blue Jays totaled 39 runs, led by Addison Barger, Bo Bichette and George Springer. Each had three home runs during Toronto’s five-game win streak, which ended on Tuesday in a loss to the Phillies. Thanks to the series against the pitching-challenged A’s, Toronto boasted the highest OPS of any team last week. The question is whether it can continue against better opponents. That hasn’t always been the case this season for the Jays; see Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies as evidence. — Rogers
Record: 30-31
Previous ranking: 13
The Diamondbacks appeared to be most likely to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West. That could still happen. But for now, Arizona might challenge L.A. for the title of most disappointing starting rotation, at least among expected contenders. Arizona’s 23rd-ranked rotation ERA is bad enough. Then came this zinger: Ace Corbin Burnes, he of the $210 million contract, is on the IL with an elbow problem, the specific diagnosis of which has initially proved to be elusive. Not great. — Doolittle
Record: 29-33
Previous ranking: 21
The Rangers’ up-and-down start to the season has left them almost precisely mediocre, which isn’t exactly what they were shooting for. It has felt like every positive development that’s happened for Texas since Opening Day has been accompanied by an equivalent gut punch. The pattern continued last week, when Marcus Semien showed signs of catching fire after foundering the first two months as one of baseball’s least productive hitters. Alas, ace Nathan Eovaldi hit the IL with triceps fatigue, weakening a rotation big three (Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle) that has kept Texas in the realm of contention. And so on it goes. — Doolittle
Record: 30-33
Previous ranking: 19
TJ Friedl has given the Reds a needed boost at the plate, collecting 10 multihit games since May 19. The 29-year-old outfielder is having a resurgent season after seeing his OPS drop below .700 last year. This year, he has hit more in line with his 2023 campaign, when he smacked 18 home runs and compiled a .352 on-base percentage. He is showing a little less power than two years ago, but his on-base has shot up over .380, and he is hitting over .360 off fastballs. — Rogers
Record: 30-34
Previous ranking: 18
The Red Sox’s offense looks pedestrian without Alex Bregman, who’s been out with a right quad injury since late last month. The team ranks in the bottom third in run scoring during that time frame. Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story have struggled the most, striking out about six times more than they’ve walked over the past half-month. That’s a recipe for some ugly at-bats. Fortunately, Rafael Devers has picked up the slack, averaging more than an RBI per game during Bregman’s absence. But Boston needs someone else to step up, as Bregman is going to be out for a while. Boston’s record as of late reflects its struggles. — Rogers
Record: 29-32
Previous ranking: 24
The Nationals had a nice road trip, winning two of three in Seattle and in Phoenix as the offense exploded for at least nine runs in four consecutive games. The highlights included a seven-run 10th inning against the Mariners and a 10-run first inning against the Diamondbacks in which the first 11 batters all reached base and five doubles were tallied. During the latter contest, the Nats scored nine runs before an out was recorded, the second most in a first inning since 1961. (The Red Sox scored 10 against the Marlins in 2003.) Luis Garcia had eight hits and six RBIs over the four outings, while the red-hot James Wood homered twice and drove in seven runs. — Schoenfield
Record: 28-33
Previous ranking: 23
The Angels have played the most road games in the majors, which has made their roller-coaster (but encouraging) start that much more impressive. Even better, they’ve played well away from Anaheim, generally remaining on the happy side of .500. The upside of such a road-heavy slate is that, by definition, the rest of their schedule will be MLB’s most home-heavy. For the Angels to take advantage, though, they need to actually start holding down the fort at the Big A, where they’ve gone 10-15. The hitters rank 5th in scoring on the road but 30th at home. That needs to change — Doolittle
Record: 24-36
Previous ranking: 27
Could a weekend sweep of an AL opponent mean the Orioles are back? Not likely, when you consider it was the lowly White Sox who failed to win a game in Baltimore. Even in taking the trio of games, the O’s only scored nine runs; but at least they pitched well, something that has eluded them for most of the season. That carried over to a 5-1 win at Seattle on Tuesday. Charlie Morton also has had a couple of good outings in a row that have led to wins. Perhaps he can right the ship enough to get traded, since it’s still a huge long shot for Baltimore to get back into the playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 23-39
Previous ranking: 28
OK, time for that annual exercise: Who on the Pirates can be unloaded to help other teams come trade season? Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa comes to mind. Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier and Andrew Heaney too. In other words, just about anyone this side of Paul Skenes can be had. If the Pirates can acquire even one hitting prospect to pair with Oneil Cruz, it would help. Cruz is their top hitter right now, ranking 40th in OPS in MLB. The next Pirate on the list is the 38-year-old McCutchen, at 81st. — Rogers
Record: 23-37
Previous ranking: 26
The Marlins became the first team to lose a series against the Rockies this season — and then the first to be swept by Colorado after dropping the final game in Miami. Monday’s announced home attendance was 5,894, which was a generous assessment of the actual in-game crowd. Pictures of a nearly empty stadium at first pitch filled social media. The game ended with a 6-4 loss. The Marlins had plenty of scoring opportunities but went just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. — Schoenfield
Record: 23-40
Previous ranking: 25
After showing some early signs of respectability and even a possible fringe run at a wild-card slot, the Athletics collapsed like the construct of a Jenga player who’s had one too many. The culprit has been pitching, particularly in the rotation, an area the A’s had hoped would be solid. Since the A’s topped out at four games over .500 (20-16), the starters have gone 3-24 with an ERA around 7.00, which is, unsurprisingly, the worst mark in the majors over that span. Double-digit outputs by the opposition have become the norm — as in 10 times over the Athletics’ past 25 games. — Doolittle
Record: 19-43
Previous ranking: 29
Down on the farm, there have been mixed reviews of Chicago’s highly regarded top five prospects. Hagen Smith had pitched just 25 innings in seven starts with 20 walks (although 42 strikeouts) in Double-A before going on the IL with elbow soreness. Colson Montgomery is hitting .191 in Triple-A. Noah Schultz has a high WHIP in Double-A (47 hits and 28 walks in 46 IP). Kyle Teel has hit well in Triple-A (.287/.389/.483) but has 54 strikeouts in 49 games. Braden Montgomery did earn a promotion to High-A but is hitting .246 there after hitting .304 in Single-A. Teel is most likely to make his MLB debut this year, although there’s little need to rush him with Edgar Quero and Matt Thaiss sharing catching duties. — Schoenfield
Record: 12-50
Previous ranking: 30
When a team is on pace to shatter the all-time loss record, you don’t generally expect any facet of that team to actually be good. However, the Colorado bullpen — despite having precious few leads to protect — has been positively not entirely terrible. (It’s all relative, of course.) For the Rockies, this could be more than a moral victory during a tortuously lost season. As the trade deadline approaches, Colorado might be able to capitalize on the always-busy derby for in-season bullpen help. Sure to attract calls are Seth Halvorsen and Jake Bird. — Doolittle
CLEVELAND — Shane Bieber promised himself after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April that he would be honest about his rehabilitation process.
Even though the Cleveland Guardians ace is going through his first setback, Bieber is trying to remain optimistic.
Bieber is in the middle of a seven-day pause from throwing after experiencing soreness in his right elbow following his first rehab start on May 31 and a bullpen session on Tuesday.
The right-hander was scheduled to make his second rehab start with Double-A Akron on Friday before being shut down.
“My mind went back to a very close buddy of mine said a few weeks or a few months back when I was starting bullpens. He was like, ‘Just don’t freak out. If you get a setback, everybody gets at least one,'” Bieber said before Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros. “I was hoping to be that anomaly, but at the same time, maybe it’s just part of the process and I’m trying to listen to my elbow and my body and do what’s best for myself and the team in the long term.”
Bieber will be checked again the middle of next week before the team’s medical staff and specialist Dr. Keith Meister decide the next steps.
Bieber threw 21⅓ scoreless innings in an Arizona Complex League game on May 31, which was his 30th birthday. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner faced nine batters, allowed one hit and struck out five while throwing 42 pitches.
“I’m a little frustrated with the timing of it as I get out here to Cleveland and join the team, but unfortunately, these rehab processes aren’t exactly linear,” Bieber said. “I’ve had a fantastic progression up to this point. A small hiccup, but hopefully we’ll just keep it at just that.”
Bieber — who agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026 — appeared to be on pace to return to the Guardians’ rotation in late June, but that could be delayed until after the All-Star break.
Cleveland (33-29) went into Saturday 7½ games behind Detroit in the AL Central, and a half-game out of a wild-card spot.
Guardians starters have the sixth-highest ERA in the American League (4.11).
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