CLEVELAND, Ohio — No matter what happens on Thursday when the Guardians are expected to make a decision on left-hander John Means’ $6 million club option for 2026, they have made themselves a destination for pitchers rebounding from Tommy John surgery.

Means didn’t throw a pitch for the Guardians this season as he completed his rehab from a second ligament-transplant surgery on his left elbow while pitching for Baltimore. If the Guardians hadn’t been in a pennant race going down the stretch, he may have been given a start or two after making seven rehab starts in the minors. By the end of the season, however, Means and the Guardians agreed that he was ready to pitch in the big leagues.

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