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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Guardians' John Means: Extends throwing distance
Rotowire
Means (elbow) extended his throwing distance to 75-to-90 feet Wednesday.
Means is still in the early stages of what will be a lengthy throwing program after undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery in June. He likely won't be close to pitching in games until the final month of the season, though there's a possibility the team holds off on deploying him until 2026.
Means (elbow) agreed Monday with the Guardians on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $7.5 million club option for 2026, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
The two sides reportedly had made progress on a deal over the weekend and now they've crossed the finish line. Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June and could miss the entire 2025 season, so the Guardians are essentially making a roll of the dice on him for 2026. The left-hander has made just 10 starts at the major-league level since 2022 due to injuries but held a 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 134:26 K:BB over 146.2 frames covering 26 starts in 2021.
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