John Means tears Achilles tendon and says he was about to sign a 2026 contract

Former All-Star pitcher John Means says he tore an Achilles tendon this week just before he was to sign a 2026 contract.

“This is hard to put into words, but I’ll try,” he wrote Thursday on social media. “On Tuesday, while training, I ruptured my Achilles. It happened the same day I was supposed to sign with a team and be available on opening day for the first time in a long time.”

Mean's posting was accompanied by a photo of a person on a gurney, left foot covered. Means wrote he had surgery Wednesday.

“I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever,” he wrote.

Means made his major league debut in 2018, was an All-Star the following year and spent his first seven seasons with Baltimore. He has a 23-26 record with a 3.68 ERA in 73 starts and five relief appearances.

The 32-year-old has pitched in eight big league games since mid-April 2022 due to Tommy John surgery that month and a second Tommy John operation in June 2024.

He signed a $1 million, one-year contract with Cleveland last February and made seven minor league rehab starts last August and September. The Guardians declined a $6 million option last month, allowing him to become a free agent.

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