All-Star Cleveland Guardians Pitcher John Means to Rehab with Lake County Captains at Classic Auto Group Park this Friday
MWL Lake County Captains

All-Star Cleveland Guardians Pitcher John Means to Rehab with Lake County Captains at Classic Auto Group Park this Friday

Published on August 14, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - The Cleveland Guardians announced today that LHP John Means is set to make a rehab start for the Lake County Captains on Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. versus the Peoria Chiefs, the High-A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Means, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent last year, has yet to pitch at the Major League level this season.

In 2019, the left-hander was named an MLB All-Star as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. He was also the runner-up for the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year Award, going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA and 121 strikeouts to just 38 walks in 31 appearances (27 starts), which spanned 155.0 innings pitched.

Means then made MLB history on May 5, 2021 in a road start against the Seattle Mariners. According to MLB.com's Joe Trezza, the southpaw tossed the Orioles' solo no-hitter since 1969, throwing 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk in a 6-0 Baltimore victory.

This performance nearly resulted in the first perfect game in Orioles franchise history, as his lone blemish was a baserunner who reached on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the third inning. This baserunner, however, was caught stealing second base, which allowed Means to face the minimum of 27 batters that day. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this outing was the first no-hitter (non-perfect game) in MLB history which did not feature a walk, hit-by-pitch, or error.

Born in Olathe, Kansas, the 32-year-old was originally selected by Baltimore in the 11 th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of West Virginia. Means eventually made his MLB debut on Sept. 26, 2018. The left-hander made 78 appearances (73 starts) in seven seasons with the Orioles, going 23-26 with a 3.68 ERA and 334 strikeouts to just 79 walks in 401.0 innings pitched.

After becoming a free agent following the 2024 season, he was signed by the Guardians on Feb. 19, 2025.

Means will wear number 44 for the Captains, and is expected to pitch three innings.

Tickets for Friday night's game are available for purchase.

It will be Fireworks Friday at the ballpark, where Lake County will host a postgame fireworks show. The Captains will also be celebrating State Fair Weekend. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics

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