The Cleveland Guardians have placed pitcher Shane Bieber on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation, according to MLB.com's Mandy Bell. She also reported the Guardians recalled pitcher Michael Kelly from Triple-A Columbus.

Guardians manager Terry Francona said Friday Bieber would skip his scheduled start Monday with his forearm “kind of irritable.”

“We thought he was trending in the right direction,” Francona said, via the Associated Press. “About three starts there, we kept him to about 80 pitches. But the last couple, he wasn't real comfortable with the way he's been bouncing back.”

Bieber started the season 3-1 but has been credited with five losses in his last 13 games pitched. He most recently played Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, allowing nine hits and four runs in a 4-1 loss for Cleveland. Shane Bieber has allowed at least five hits in nine of those games.

Bieber won the AL Cy Young award in 2020 and has been effective since then. In 2022, he had 13 wins and an ERA of 2.88. It appears he was on track for another effective season but that he has been bothered by injury.

Bieber has reportedly been in trade talks, so it remains important to see if he will be coveted before the trade deadline Aug. 1 amid his IL stint.

The Guardians are very much in contention for a playoff spot. They are just one-half game behind the Minnesota Twins (46-46 record) in the AL Central.

Cleveland had won six of eight games before it lost its last two games against the Royals and Texas Rangers, respectively, dropping below .500.