Shane Bieber got caught up in a weird moment during the Yankees-Guardians game thanks to MLB’s new pitch clock and disengagement rules. With Anthony Volpe on first, Bieber made a subtle move on the mound that looked like the start of his wind-up but didn’t deliver the pitch. That kind of move now counts as a disengagement, and pitchers only get two per at-bat unless they pick off the runner on the third. Bieber didn’t realize that his maneuver counted as one, and then made two more throws over to first. On the third, he struck out Gleyber Torres, but it didn’t matter—Volpe was automatically awarded second base.
Bieber seemed confused. The umpire told him there had been three disengagements, which triggers an automatic advance. Guardians manager Terry Francona came out to get an explanation, but it was clear nobody—not Bieber, not the catcher, not even Francona—fully understood the umpire’s signal system. Despite the confusion, Bieber finished the inning unharmed, getting out of the jam with a pop-up. Still, the clip was a good example of how some pitchers are still adjusting to how the new rules are enforced during live play.