Disaster avoided as Guardians pitcher does not have major injury

For a brief moment during Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox, it appeared as though the Cleveland Guardians lost yet another member of their starting rotation.

Ben Lively was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Dominic Fletcher, resulting in him going to the ground and his day being over. Lively would need assistance to get most of the way off the field before taking a couple of steps into the dugout under his own power.

At this time, the team is saying that Lively has a thigh contusion on his right leg. Optimism remains high between Lively and manager Stephen Vogt, as the feeling in the clubhouse is that he should be able to make his next start.

Talk about avoiding yet another catastrophic blow to their starting rotation. Cleveland has dealt with a combination of injuries and poor performance this season, some of which date back to before the season actaully began. Losing another starter in Lively for any amount of time would have been a disaster for their prospects moving forward.

Cleveland has relied upon Lively to be a consistent presence in their rotation this season, pitching to the tune of a 4.01 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, and 7.2 strikeouts per nine in 26 games. While Lively's overall effectiveness on the mound has waned since the beginning of July (5.07 ERA and a .250/.313/.450 slash line against in 13 games), having someone ready to go every fifth day has helped stabilize a rotation that has seen plenty of change this season. Even if he is not pitching at his absolute best, the Guardians are better off with him in their starting rotation than they are without him.

Should Lively be able to make his next start as expected, the veteran right-hander will face the Tampa Bay Rays at home on Sunday, September 13th. Lively previously faced the Rays on July 14th, allowing two runs on three hits in 5.1 innings while striking out seven and walking two in a 2-0 loss on the road. If Lively can pitch at a similar level, it would be an encouraging sign that he can be a meaningful contributor to Cleveland's staff once the postseason begins.