Means (elbow) allowed three runs on four hits while striking out four over 5.1 innings for Triple-A Columbus on Friday.
Means threw 84 pitches (52 strikes) in his seventh rehab start and fifth at Triple-A. The outing is expected to be his final rehab outing, and the left-hander could join the Guardians next week as they vie for a playoff spot. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt told Patrick Donnelly of MLB.com on Friday that he's considering adding Means to the roster but will wait to see how the pitcher responds. The Guardians are already working with a six-man rotation, but Means could offer length out of the bullpen.
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Guardians' John Means: Roughed up in rehab start
Rotowire
Means (elbow) allowed six earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two over 3.2 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.
Means navigated minimal traffic over two scoreless innings to begin the game but ran into trouble in the third, when he allowed two solo home runs. His struggles continued into the fourth inning, when he walked the bases loaded before giving up a two-run double. Means then balked in the go-ahead run. The left-hander is now six starts into his rehab assignment, and he's yet to find much success since shifting his assignment to Triple-A in late August, producing a 9.00 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 11:10 K:BB in 15 innings over four outings with Columbus. While Means has built his pitch count up to 82 and appears to be ready from a workload standpoint to take on a traditional starting role, his poor form at Triple-A could make the Guardians reluctant to activate him from the 60-day injured list during the upcoming week. The Guardians will have a stretch of six games in five days due to a doubleheader Saturday in Minnesota, but since the team is already running with a six-man rotation, Means may not be called upon to make a spot start for the big club.
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Guardians' John Means: Knocked around in rehab start
Rotowire
Means (elbow) struck out three and allowed five earned runs on six hits and two walks over 4.1 innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Columbus.
Means had originally lined up to make the fifth start of his rehab assignment Friday with Columbus, but after falling ill, he ended up being pushed back a couple of days in the pitching schedule. The additional time off didn't prove beneficial for Means, who got stretched out to 72 pitches but wasn't particularly effective, as he surrendered four extra-base hits. The southpaw will presumably make at least one more rehab start with Columbus during the upcoming week before potentially returning from the 60-day injured list to make his Guardians debut in the second half of September.
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Guardians' John Means: Under the weather
Rotowire
Means (elbow) will not make his scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Friday due to an illness, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Means' fifth rehab start will be delayed by at least a day, with the Guardians hoping that the 32-year-old southpaw will be able to pitch Saturday. Means is in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in June of 2024, and the hope is that he will rejoin the Guardians' rotation before the end of the regular season.
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Guardians' John Means: Another rehab start scheduled
Rotowire
Means (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday followed by a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Friday, MLB.com reports.
Friday's outing will be the fifth rehab start for Means, who logged four innings and 58 pitches in his previous outing Sunday. His pitch count will bump up to 75 on Friday, after which the left-hander could rejoin Cleveland's staff. Presumably, Means would join the rotation, but the Guardians are moving to a six-man rotation this week that currently doesn't include Means, per Molly Burkhardt of MLB.com. Joey Cantillo will start Wednesday's series finale against Boston at Fenway Park, joining the existing five-man rotation. Of the six current starters, Slade Cecconi and Gavin Williams have already passed their career highs in innings pitched, while Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee are nearing theirs. That suggests Means could be a replacement for one of the starters at or past their previous career high in innings.
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Guardians' John Means: Logs four innings in rehab start
Rotowire
Means (elbow) allowed one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.
Making his fourth rehab start and second in a row with Columbus, Means tossed 58 pitches (37 strikes). The left-hander is on track to return from the 60-day injured list at some point in September, though Means will likely need one or two more outings in the minors to build up his pitch count before the Guardians consider him for a spot in the rotation. Per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, Cleveland 's brass has discussed moving to a six-man rotation in September, as the team facing a taxing schedule that includes a stretch of 17 games in 17 days.
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Guardians' John Means: Rehab start coming Sunday
Rotowire
Means (elbow) is scheduled to make his next rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, MLB.com reports.
Means will be making his fourth rehab start and second for Columbus. He was knocked around in his previous outing at Triple-A on Tuesday, allowing four runs on three hits (all home runs) in three innings. Means had much better results in his first two rehab starts, which came with High-A Lake County.
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Guardians' John Means: Knocked around at Triple-A
Rotowire
Means (elbow) allowed four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
Means made his third rehab start and first at the Triple-A level, where he experienced more pushback than his previous outings at High-A Lake County. All three hits allowed by the left-hander left the park. On a more positive note, Means upped his pitch count to 61, putting him another rehab start or two away from potentially returning from the 60-day injured list and joining the Guardians rotation in September.
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Guardians' John Means: Third rehab start on tap
Rotowire
Means (elbow) is slated to make his third rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Columbus, MLB.com reports.
Means will look to increase his workload Tuesday after tossing 51 pitches over 3.2 scoreless innings for High-A Lake County last Wednesday. After Tuesday's outing, Means will likely need at least one more rehab start before potentially returning from the 60-day injured list. Means has been on the shelf all season while completing his recovery from June 2024 Tommy John surgery.
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Guardians' John Means: Strong second rehab start
Rotowire
Means (elbow) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four over 3.2 innings for High-A Lake County on Wednesday.
Means made his second rehab start for the Captains and worked his pitch count to 51 (34 strikes) while using his entire arsenal, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The left-hander, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, is on schedule relative to what the team has laid out for him. Means will likely need a couple more rehab starts before he's deemed ready for activation.
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Guardians' John Means: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Means (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out three over 2.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start for High-A Lake County on Friday.
Means opened a rehab assignment Friday and threw 38 pitches (30 strikes), which got him close to the three innings the Guardians planned for him. Assuming the left-hander's rehab progresses well and he builds up innings, Means could be available to help Cleveland pursue a playoff spot in September.
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Guardians' John Means: Ready for rehab games
Rotowire
Means (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Lake County on Friday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
It will be the hurler's first official game action since he underwent a second Tommy John surgery last June. Means is scheduled to throw three innings for Lake County and will continue to build up his stamina before joining the Guardians' rotation, likely in September.
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Guardians' John Means: Throws bridge game
Rotowire
Means (elbow) threw two innings in a bridge game at the Guardians' training complex in Goodyear (Ariz.) on Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. "[He] pitched really well but [he also] felt great, so that's a really good sign," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
A "bridge game" is one played between the end of the rookie-level Arizona Complex League season and the start of the Arizona Fall League season. The activity marked Means' first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2024. Cleveland inked the left-hander this spring to a one-year deal with a team option for 2026. The possibility exists that Means could throw for the Guardians in September. He's undergoing an evaluation by the team's training staff following the outing, and if all goes well, Means could join a minor-league affiliate on a rehab assignment.
Means (elbow) has begun throwing off a mound, MLB.com reports.
Means is attempting to come back from a second Tommy John surgery and could return late in the 2025 regular season. He'll continue his throwing progression but has not yet taken the mound for a bullpen session, and there's no timeline yet for the 32-year-old southpaw to begin a rehab assignment.
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Guardians' John Means: Could start mound work soon
Rotowire
Means (elbow) is expected to begin throwing bullpen sessions at some point this month, MLB.com reports.
As of April 30, Means had been responding well since starting up his throwing program, and he had increased his throwing distance off flat ground to 120 feet. Assuming he's avoided any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery over the ensuing two weeks, he could take the next step forward in the rehab process by getting back on the mound. Means still has multiple checkpoints to hit, but a late-season return from the 60-day injured list remains a possibility for the veteran lefty.
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Guardians' John Means: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Guardians transferred Means (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.
The left-hander is only about 10 months removed from undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery, so it was only a matter of time before he was moved to the 60-day IL. Means continues to ramp up his throwing program and isn't expected to be ready for game action until late in the season.
The Guardians placed Means (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Cleveland will hold off on sending Means to the 60-day IL for now, though he isn't expected to be ready for MLB action until the final month of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. If the left-hander runs into any snags during his rehab program, Cleveland may opt to hold Means out for the entire season.
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