MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 27, 2025

Shane Bieber

Dodger Stadium

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. What's your perspective been on the challenge of joining a new team midseason, new clubhouse, getting acclimated, and then you're reaching the point where you're able to -- about to start a World Series game?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, obviously the first time I've ever been traded, so I didn't know exactly what to expect. Ultimately I feel like the organization, the families within it, my teammates, their families, have helped my wife and I acclimate better than I ever expected. It's been an absolute pleasure. I feel like a lot of credit has to go to the Toronto Blue Jays and how easy they made that move, especially just going from being in Cleveland for the last nine years and working my back to the Major Leagues post-Tommy John and having all that happen at the end of -- what was it, July? And it was a whirlwind, but looking back, they made it as easy as possible and now we find ourselves in the World Series. I couldn't be happier.

Q. Any teammates or coaches in particular that really kind of helped you hit the ground?

SHANE BIEBER: All of 'em. Obviously there's a lot of former Cleveland guys that I've played with in the past, and so that was, that part of it made it pretty easy and smooth of a transition, having already known a good handful of guys and even some of the medical and training staff. So, but all things considered, everybody's been fantastic.

Q. How much of the rehab was a straight line of steady improvement and how much was a series of ups and downs, and were those discouraging?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, for me I'm very grateful for my path. I feel like it was very steady and straightforward, until I made my first rehab start in the end of May maybe? Yeah, the end of May. Got headed out to Cleveland. Didn't respond to the travel very well in like my first three-inning outing, and so I had to take a little bit of time off. But in speaking with the medical staff in Cleveland, and most specifically Dr. Keith Meister in Texas, he's like, Hey, it's very rare for anybody to not have any sort of hiccup, so this was probably always going to happen, and your body's just telling you it needs a couple days off. I was able to get back on track after that. And ultimately, when looking at my rehab, you know, all encompassing, I'm very grateful for how smooth it's been.

Q. Before you started the minor league assignment where did you do most of the rehab? In Goodyear?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, in Goodyear. Last year I was traveling probably once a month to see the guys either in Cleveland or when they were on the road, and I was with them during their playoff push as well. So that was important to me to be able to be with the guys.

But at the same time right when I got surgery the team medical staff was like, Hey, we send our Tommy John guys to Goodyear, that's where you're going to get the best care and the best hands-on each and every day.

Q. As you were alone rehabbing in Goodyear with a lot of rookie league guys did you think something like this was possible a year later, or was it just a lonely, discouraging experience?

SHANE BIEBER: No, it wasn't lonely and discouraging. I was hopeful, definitely. Like I said, I was with the team, the Cleveland team during the playoff run last year. So it's bittersweet. It's hard as an athlete to not be able to contribute. So I was hoping for moments like this a year later, and sure enough here I find myself.

Q. Being from Orange County, what does it mean to you to pitch on this stage here in southern California, and what's it been like with friends, family members, ticket requests, all that kind of thing?

SHANE BIEBER: It's fantastic. Growing up not too far from here, stepping off the plane, albeit it was like 4:00 a.m. I was a little bit loud about it, like, Oh, doesn't this just feel great. Guys weren't so happy about that. But very fun to be back here with friends, with family. It's a very familiar place.

Q. Looking at the other guy pitching tomorrow night, are you somewhat astounded when he finishes pitching the mound and then could be leading off the inning against you?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, you don't see that too often, right. I don't know what my perspective will be. I probably won't even see him doing his change from the fielding glove to batting gloves. But regardless, I'm focused on their lineup and what I can do to navigate it time and time again. So excited for the opportunity.

Q. You have sort of a unique position. You look at him only as a hitter, since you're just attacking his strike zone and not really worried about his pitching.

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, you worry about what's in front of you, and for me the hitters will have a great game plan going against him as pitcher, and I'm going to game plan against him as a hitter.

Q. I know you're probably not thinking about any of this right now, but a lot was made of the Dodgers spending. You're now on a team that has a very high payroll as well. When you hear stuff about it's ruining baseball or comments like that, what's just kind of your reaction to that?

SHANE BIEBER: Yeah, not thinking about it too much. I think you kind of hit it on the head there. We're very focused on what's in front of us, and that's collecting three more wins. I know there's a lot of discourse about the state of the game right now and payrolls, high and low, I think we'll worry about that a little bit more in the off-season.