GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- For the fifth-straight year, Shane Bieber will get the start on Opening Day for the Cleveland Guardians.
The right-hander has has made great strides in the offseason, showing signs of being the team's ace again after an elbow injury in the 2023 season.
The former Cy Young Award winner has had a solid spring training, seeing an uptick in his velocity and returning to his old form.
Bieber, 28, went 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA last season but was sidelined from mid-July until late September. His overall record is 60-32 with a 3.80 ERA in 134 outings since debuting with Cleveland in 2018.
The only other pitchers to start in five consecutive openers in Cleveland franchise history are Corey Kluber and Stan Coveleski.
The Cleveland opens the season on March 28 in Oakland. It will also be sort of a homecoming for first-year Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, who retired after the 2022 season with the Athletics.
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