On a stormy Friday night in South Florida, all eyes at loanDepot park were fixed on the mound, where Shane Bieber made one of the most anticipated returns in recent baseball memory. After spending 507 days away from Major League action due to Tommy John surgery, the 2020 Cy Young and Triple Crown winner donned a Toronto Blue Jays uniform for the first time and delivered a performance that reminded everyone why he’s considered one of the game’s elite arms.
Bieber’s journey back to the big leagues has been nothing short of grueling. His last outing before Friday came on April 2, 2024, when elbow discomfort forced him out of the Cleveland Guardians’ rotation and eventually onto the operating table. The Blue Jays, hungry for a playoff push and seeking a proven ace, acquired Bieber at the July 31 trade deadline after he completed four rehab starts with the Guardians and three more with Toronto’s minor league affiliates. The anticipation surrounding his debut was palpable, and Bieber did not disappoint.
From the outset, Bieber looked sharp, mixing his signature slider with a cutter and a changeup that kept the Miami Marlins’ hitters guessing. He struck out the side in the fourth inning, flashing the command and poise that once made him the most dominant pitcher in the American League. Over six innings, Bieber scattered just two hits, allowed a single earned run—a solo homer to rookie Javier Sanoja in the second—and struck out nine batters on 87 pitches. He retired 12 straight at one point, a testament to his rhythm and confidence on the mound. As Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, himself recovering from Tommy John surgery, put it: “Coming back from TJ, it is one of the hardest things in baseball. But, I mean, if you trust, you believe it, you can do it.”
Even before first pitch, the magnitude of the night was not lost on those in the dugout. Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt, who underwent the same surgery earlier in his career, offered perspective: “It feels like a debut all over again. It’s an exciting moment, but you gotta relearn what works for you.” For Bieber, the night was indeed reminiscent of his first big-league appearance. “That’s a great point by Chris because it’s spot-on,” Bieber said postgame. “It felt a little bit like that. I was seeing some similarities to a few years ago when I debuted and really just leaned on my family—my wife, my son… They’ve kept me grounded for the past 507 days and beyond.”
Bieber also credited Bassitt and his new teammates for making the transition to Toronto seamless. “Relying on Chris over the past few weeks, just helping me acclimate. Not just Chris, but really the whole team has been fantastic since the day that I came in. They made the baseball change easy. And I’m grateful to those guys for how they’ve gone about their work.”
Toronto wasted no time giving their new ace some breathing room. The Blue Jays, who currently lead Major League Baseball in batting average, jumped on Marlins starter Ryan Gusto in the opening frame. Daulton Varsho lined an RBI double, then scored on Ty France’s two-run single, staking Bieber to a quick 3–0 lead. Varsho wasn’t done, either. In the sixth inning, after Alejandro Kirk extended the frame with a two-out single, Varsho launched a 423-foot, two-run homer to right-center—his 14th of the season—pushing the lead to 5–1.
“I’ve got Bieber Fever,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said with a grin after the game. “I’m a believer.” The Toronto dugout certainly played like it, backing up their new ace with timely hitting and airtight defense. Varsho finished the night with three RBIs and two extra-base hits, while France chipped in two hits and two RBIs of his own. Bo Bichette, meanwhile, doubled in the first inning, extending his American League-leading hit total to 158.
For the Marlins, it was a frustrating night at the plate. Miami managed just four hits in total and went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Xavier Edwards, typically a reliable bat, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. The only extra-base hits came from Sanoja, whose 10-pitch battle against Bieber in the second ended with a solo shot to left-center, and from Jakob Marsee. Rookie Maximo Acosta provided a late spark for the home crowd, blasting a solo home run in the eighth inning—his second consecutive game with a homer, a promising sign for the 21-year-old infielder.
On the mound, Gusto—making his second start for Miami since being acquired in the Jesús Sánchez trade—struggled to contain Toronto’s lineup. He allowed seven hits and five earned runs over six innings, falling to 0–2 as a Marlin. Despite the early deficit, Gusto settled in after the first, but the damage was already done. Miami’s bullpen held Toronto scoreless the rest of the way, but the offense couldn’t muster a rally.
The night wasn’t without its celebrations for Miami fans. The Marlins hosted Women Empowerment Night, honoring four local women with Marlins-themed awards before a paid crowd of 14,923. With thunderstorms rolling across the city, the game was played under a closed roof, but the energy inside the ballpark was electric—especially when Acosta’s homer briefly narrowed the gap in the eighth.
Blue Jays relievers Brendon Little and Jeff Hoffman combined to shut the door. After Acosta’s blast, Little recorded the final two outs of the eighth, and Hoffman notched his 28th save of the season with a clean ninth inning. As the final out settled into a glove, Toronto’s players congratulated Bieber on a triumphant return, while Miami was left to ponder missed opportunities.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays will send right-hander José Berríos (9-5, 4.00 ERA) to the mound on Saturday, facing Miami’s Janson Junk (6-2, 4.04 ERA). With Toronto leading the AL East and the Marlins searching for answers, the next matchup promises more drama as both teams chase their postseason ambitions.
For Bieber, the night was about more than just numbers—it was about resilience, trust, and the start of a new chapter. As Alcantara reflected, “At the end of the day, people have to know that you lost a lot of time, you know. And coming back from TJ, it is one of the hardest things in baseball. You have to trust your mind. You have to trust coaches and keep working it.” Judging by Friday’s performance, Bieber’s trust—and his talent—are firmly intact.
With the Blue Jays surging and their new ace back on the mound, the rest of the league will be watching closely. After all, nights like these are why baseball fans keep coming back for more.
