PITTSBURGH — The Toronto Blue Jays took a swing at the trade deadline. They took a chance on a former Cy Young Award winner, ERA leader and two-time All-Star in Shane Bieber, hoping he could recapture his previous form after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
On Friday in Miami, the Jays will get the first returns on that swing. Bieber, the team announced Monday, will make his Blue Jays debut in the club’s series opener against the Marlins, his first big league outing in more than 500 days.
Bieber has the chance to elevate Toronto’s playoff rotation, but his return also poses questions for the team’s pitching strategy moving forward.
“I think I’ve known I’m ready for a little while now,” Bieber said. “It was just about building up volume.”
Shane Bieber’s Rehab Assignment:
🔥 7 Games Started
🔥 1.86 ERA
🔥 37 Ks in 29 IP pic.twitter.com/KQQIntt2Ra— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 18, 2025
The 30-year-old righty, who was acquired from Cleveland for pitching prospect Khal Stephen, made seven rehab outings with the Jays and Guardians this summer after undergoing the procedure in April 2024.
In three starts with Triple-A Buffalo, Bieber allowed four earned runs across 17 2/3 innings, striking out 16 batters against just two walks.
“I’m not gonna let it get too big,” Bieber said. “Obviously, it’s a very big moment for me personally, not just coming off of Tommy John, but debuting for a new team, new city and uniform. So it’s not something I take lightly. But at the same time, it’s the same game that I’ve been playing for a long, long time.”
At his best, Bieber is the type of starter who can reshape a rotation — the ace who can headline a playoff win. It’s the exact upside the Jays needed at the deadline, with a rotation built more on stability than dominance. Entering Monday, Toronto’s rotation ranked 20th in MLB by ERA (4.38).
With Bieber back, Kevin Gausman rattling off a stretch of strong starts and Max Scherzer appearing in peak form, the Jays have the makings of a potential October trio — or at least a group to dream on. Bieber should have five or six regular-season starts to prepare for a potential playoff run, but Friday is the long-awaited first look.
“Looking forward to seeing him in action,” manager John Schneider said. “I’ve admired him from afar for a number of years.”
Bieber’s return also forces a decision for the team. With five healthy starters currently in Toronto’s rotation, the Jays could use an expanded rotation to give extra rest to well-worn starters, but that would put strain on the bullpen before September’s roster expansion. They could also move a starter to the bullpen to inject a long man into the relief group. The team has “plans in place,” Schneider said, but the decision won’t be made until after the team’s three-game set in Pittsburgh.
“It’s going to be fluid until Wednesday afternoon,” Schneider said.
Those decisions, though, are the type that good teams must confront. Too many starting pitchers, especially this late in the season, is a rare luxury. For a pitcher with as high a ceiling as Bieber’s, the Jays will make it work.
(Photo: Cole Burston / Getty Images)