Ben Lively to return to Guardians in Cincinnati

It appears that the Cleveland Guardians have dodged a major bullet. Just a few days after exiting a start prematurely and returning to Cleveland for further examination, starting pitcher Ben Lively is set to return to the team during their two-game series in Cincinnati, according to a report from Cleveland.coms Paul Hoynes. Lively was dealing with some upper and lower body tightness and was forced to leave the game after just 65 pitches in 5 innings.

The Guardians will be providing an official update before Tuesday night's contest with the Reds, but the fact he is rejoining the team this quickly seems to point to something positive. If Lively had some type of serious injury, there would be no reason for him to return to the team, even if it is just a quick trip down to Cincinnati.

Lively has been a savior for the Guardians this season with his performance on the mound. Sporting career-bests in ERA (2.59) and WHIP (1.114) in 55.2 innings pitched so far, it has resulted in the Guardians winning all but three of his starts with Lively receiving wins in six of them. Lively's performance has been a key factor in Cleveland being able to climb to the top of the American League Central division this season.

What the Guardians have received from Lively has been a nice surprise and has more than made up for the loss of Shane Bieber after just two starts and the delayed 2024 debut of Gavin Williams. There were a lot of negative feelings about the Guardians' chances this season following Bieber's season-ending injury and Williams' setbacks, which have resulted in him not throwing a pitch in the majors this season as of yet. This team needed someone to step up, and it was the rather unheralded Lively who answered the call. Hopefully, Lively will miss very little time, if any, and be able to rejoin the Guardians' rotation soon.