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After more than 500 days, Shane Bieber is returning to a big-league mound. And after just a few months, Willy Adames is returning to Milwaukee.
Plus: Yankees-Red Sox notes and the Baseball Card of the Week. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
Big Deals: Shane Bieber returns
The last time we saw Shane Bieber on a big-league mound, it was April 2, 2024. He was walking toward the third-base dugout at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, having just struck out Mitch Garver.
His line after two starts of the season: 12 IP, zero runs, 10 hits, one walk, 20 strikeouts.
And that’s where it stayed for the rest of the season. Bieber — the 2020 Cy Young winner with a career mark of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA — underwent Tommy John surgery.
After more than 16 months away and a trade from Cleveland to Toronto, in the opposite corner of the country, Bieber will return tonight, facing the Miami Marlins.
If the rehab starts are any indication, the 30-year-old Bieber should provide a massive boost to the Toronto rotation. In seven starts, he’s 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA, striking out 37 and walking just three in 29 innings.
His return will no doubt boost a rotation that also boasts Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer, both of whom have been very good of late. But let’s be honest: The Blue Jays (74-54) are leading the AL East — they didn’t trade for Bieber in hopes of winning the division by seven games instead of five.
Bieber will have a half-dozen starts or so to prepare for October. That’s why they traded for him. Tonight, the Blue Jays get their first look at the once (and hopefully currently) dominant ace.
Ken’s Notebook: Leftover notes from last night’s Red Sox-Yankees broadcast
Yankees defense under the lights. The Yankees’ sloppiness was an issue even before Game 5 of last year’s World Series. Manager Aaron Boone, however, believed their biggest problem during their 12-19 stretch from June 30 to Aug. 5 was their 5.70 ERA, the third-worst in the majors during that time. By some measures, the Yankees are middle-of-the-pack or even slightly better defensively. But their four errors in the series opener against the Red Sox were another example of their poor defense showing up in big games. They also have made 12 errors in 10 games against the Toronto Blue Jays this season, going 3-7 in those contests.
The Yankees’ defensive ranks entering yesterday:
Defensive efficiency: Seventh
Defensive runs saved: 10th
Outs Above Average: 21st
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner wrote more about the Yankees’ deficiencies in the series opener.
Trevor Story’s rise. This is the player the Sox envisioned when they signed Story to a six-year, $140 million free-agent contract in March 2022. After playing a combined 163 games his first three years in Boston, Story looks much more like the player he was in Colorado. Since June 1, Story has batted .296 with 12 homers and an .847 OPS. On the season, he also has stolen 22 bases in 22 attempts, played a solid shortstop and served as a steadying influence for his younger teammates after the Rafael Devers trade.
Ben Rice is mashing. Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said Rice’s season is even more impressive than it looks on the surface. Rice at times has hit into poor luck, and his expected numbers reflect just how much he is crushing the ball. His average exit velocity entering last night was in the top 3 percent of the league. So was his expected slugging percentage. It’s more than natural ability, too. Rowson raved about Rice’s preparation, saying, “For such a young hitter, he’s light years ahead of where most guys with his time would be.”
Cody Bellinger’s future. Virtually certain to decline his $25 million option and re-enter the free-agent market. Bellinger (30) will be in a better position than he was after the 2023 season. A player cannot receive a qualifying offer twice, so he will not be subject to draft-pick compensation. In addition, it now appears clear that Bellinger’s numbers last season were dragged down in part by an offensively depressed environment at Wrigley Field. Otherwise, he has been fairly consistent for three years now offensively, and his defensive versatility remains invaluable.
And finally, here again is what I wrote about Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony entering his first series at Yankee Stadium. He certainly looked comfortable last night, drawing a walk, hitting a game-tying RBI single in the sixth and a two-run homer to increase the Red Sox’s lead to 6-3 in the ninth.
Homecomings: Willy Adames returns (different kind)
It has not been a good first year in San Francisco for Willy Adames. Over the first seven years of his career — split between Tampa Bay and Milwaukee — Adames averaged a little over .022 bWAR per game.
This year? It’s right around half of that.
Milwaukee, in particular, was where Adames found the most success. Games played, home runs, OPS … every stat but batting average (.244 as a Brewer, .254 as a Ray), Adames’ totals in Milwaukee outpaced his production as a Ray. Last year, as the Brewers won the NL Central, he cracked the top 10 in MVP voting for the first time in his career.
Tonight, Adames will return to Milwaukee as a member of the Giants, with whom he signed a seven-year contract worth $182 million last offseason.
In that above link, Andrew Baggarly spoke to Adames, explaining what worked so well for him as a Brewer, and why it probably won’t be a fractious reunion at American Family Field. Brewers fans, after all, are pretty used to this by now.
And let’s be honest here, too: The team is doing all right without Adames. Yes, new shortstop Joey Ortiz has the lineup’s lowest OPS at .612 (and is now dealing with a hamstring injury). But even after years of shedding parts, the Brewers are 80-48, leading the NL Central by seven games.
Adames, for his part, says he’s happy for his former teammates, lauding their style of play throughout Baggarly’s article.
And hey, maybe a return to the familiar surroundings can kick-start Adames to a bit more success with the Giants, where he’s hitting .222/.310/.397 (.707 OPS).
Baseball Card of the Week: 2021 Panini Diamond Kings Elegance Trea Turner (99/99)
There are a few things I like about this card: First of all, I’m a sucker for a “special” card, especially if the design looks clean, which this one does. But that’s not in the top two.
One: It’s number 99/99. That’s way better than some random number. Give me the first one or the last one, and I feel special.
Two: I think it’s funny that the card number is E-6. Like, c’mon Panini. Dude is a shortstop that faced questions about his defense for years and you’re making his card number E-6?
Cold.
Handshakes and High Fives
Catching the ceremonial first pitch is typically seen as a chore for players. But for Angels reliever Carson Fulmer, it might be his calling.
Nine-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is joining the Astros, Ken and Chandler Rome reported last night, adding veteran depth to a bullpen in need of it. The 37-year-old hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since June 6.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley had season-ending surgery for a sports hernia yesterday, and Atlanta claimed right-hander Cal Quantrill off waivers from the Marlins and inserted him into their starting rotation. A few other Braves moves here.
Fans waited in line for hours outside Yankee Stadium yesterday to get the highly anticipated napping George Costanza bobblehead.
This week’s Weird & Wild opens with a deep dive into Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk’s first stolen base (in game No. 532 of his career).
As the Twins crumble around him, Joe Ryan is having one of Minnesota’s best seasons by a starter in 25 years, as Aaron Gleeman writes.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Jayson Stark’s explanation of how the season could shorten post-expansion.
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(Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images)