Shane Bieber: A second tough outing in a row during his comeback

The Toronto Blue Jays are in desperate need of reinforcements on the mound, having dealt with a slew of injuries in 2026.

That's why the return of former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber is eagerly anticipated; he has been on the injured list all season due to inflammation in his right elbow.

But fans may have to be patient in his case.

In fact, in his third rehab start yesterday (Saturday)—his first against Triple-A hitters—Bieber pitched two and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs, while striking out three batters. He threw 59 pitches, 40 of which were strikes.

Admittedly, when it comes to rehab starts, the results don't really matter in the first or second outing. But in the third, things are supposed to be moving in the right direction, which wasn't the case for the 31-year-old.

Bieber had begun his rehab in the Florida Complex League, which is the Blue Jays' short-season minor league. He pitched two innings and allowed three hits, but also struck out three batters and gave up no runs.

Then, Toronto kept him in Florida and sent him to Dunedin at the A-level on May 31. And that's where the problems began, as he pitched two and a third innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs. He struck out two batters and walked one.

Although results matter less than how he feels on the mound, this performance, combined with what happened in Buffalo yesterday, raises a number of questions in the Queen City.

This will be a story to watch in the coming days.

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