The Cleveland Guardians will be without right-hander Ben Lively for a while.
He was removed with what was initially deemed as a forearm injury on Monday, after completing just three innings in his start against the Milwaukee Brewers.
On Tuesday, the team announced his diagnosis and placed him on the injured list for the next 15 days, at the very least.
“The Guardians placed Ben Lively (right flexor tendon strain) on the 15-day IL and recalled Zak Kent from Triple-A Columbus,” team insider Tim Stebbins posted on X.
The Guardians placed Ben Lively (right flexor tendor strain) on the 15-day IL and recalled Zak Kent from Triple-A Columbus.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) May 13, 2025
Reliever Zak Kent was called up by Cleveland in a corresponding move.
Lively was scheduled to start again this weekend.
By then, the team will likely call up a starter to take his place in the rotation, with Doug Nikhazy, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick, and Vince Velasquez as candidates.
While Cleveland did reveal the fact that Lively is dealing with a flexor tendon strain, they didn’t offer more details about its severity or the time he will be on the shelf.
These injuries can often sideline pitchers for a few weeks, but if they are severe, they could be out for three or four months.
If that’s the case, Lively’s season would be in jeopardy.
For now, let’s treat it as a multi-week absence and wait for a more concrete report.
He was posting the best numbers in the Guardians’ rotation, against all odds, with a 3.22 ERA in 44.2 innings of work.
The Guards will definitely feel the loss, but they have enough pieces and creativity to come up with a suitable replacement.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Names Potential Options To Replace Injured Starter
