Ben Lively’s road back to a big league mound finally reached a real-game checkpoint over the weekend, and for the Guardians that’s the encouraging part of a rough injury update.
Lively, who is working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery, made his first appearance in an affiliated game in more than a year when he took the ball for a rehab start with High-A Lake County in Fort Wayne. The outing was ugly on the scoreboard - eight runs in one inning - but the bigger picture is what matters here. He threw 32 pitches, 23 for strikes, and allowed seven hits and one walk as he continued the long rehab process that began after surgery last June.
The Guardians brought Lively in on a two-year minor league deal this offseason specifically to give him a path back without using a roster spot. He spent most of last summer at the team’s Arizona Complex rebuilding arm strength, then moved to Progressive Field for a live bullpen two weeks ago before making the jump to game action over the weekend.
The rust showed, which is no surprise after so much time away. But the fact that he’s back in an affiliated game at all is the key development. At this stage, the results are secondary.
The news on Shawn Armstrong is much tougher.
Armstrong suffered a non-contact calf injury, and manager Stephen Vogt said Monday that the strain is “moderate to high” while the club works out a timeline for his return. Given how unpredictable calf injuries can be, it’s hard to see him coming back this season.
That’s a major hit to the bullpen and could also affect the Guardians’ thinking ahead of the deadline. A reliever has become a clear need, and Armstrong’s absence may push the front office toward using a prospect to fill that spot rather than dealing from the part of the system that could land them a right-handed bat such as Angel Genao.
However they choose to handle it, Armstrong’s injury stings. The Guardians put real offseason investment into him, and now they’re left trying to patch a bullpen hole that may not close anytime soon.
In Other News...
Guardians Fans May Not Like Which Names Are In Deadline Talks
The Guardians deadline picture is getting more complicated by the day, and it does not stop with the obvious rental chatter. Bo Naylor has surfaced as a possible move before the August 3 deadline, which says plenty about how Cleveland is weighing its catching depth against the kind of return it might actually get, while Steven Kwan remains the sort of player front offices keep circling because he can help in so many ways even when the bat is uneven.
Kwans market is especially tricky after he was already a hot name last summer, then opened this season slowly before righting things enough to remind teams why he still stands out. Rhys Hoskins adds another layer, since his production has lagged but his right-handed power and low-cost profile could still appeal to clubs that miss on bigger bats, leaving Cleveland with a few movable pieces and no easy answers as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Put Serious Trade Deadline Pressure On Chris Antonetti
The trade deadline picture in the AL Central is getting a little clearer, and it is putting the Guardians in a tougher spot. Cleveland has been careful not to tip its hand beyond saying it will look at ways to improve the team, but the Twins are signaling a more aggressive posture as the deadline approaches, which matters in a division race where every move can ripple across the standings.
For Chris Antonetti, the pressure now comes not just from what Cleveland needs, but from what Minnesota is willing to do to answer it. The Twins are expected to be active and have already altered the market in ways that could affect the price of help elsewhere, leaving the Guardians to weigh whether standing pat is good enough when a direct rival appears ready to spend its way into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Be Revisiting A Trade Deadline Fix Fans Know Too Well
The Guardians are again being linked to a familiar deadline name as they look for help for a lineup that has gone cold during a losing streak. According to speculation from an insider, Cleveland may be considering a reunion with an outfielder it already knows well, a move that would fit the clubs search for a right-handed bat and some veteran stability as the deadline approaches.
It would also be a reminder of how quickly these summer fixes can come full circle. Cleveland already went this route once, and the idea now is less about splash than fit, with the front office weighing whether a short-term addition can give the order a better balance without costing too much in return. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the possibility alone says plenty about where the Guardians think the roster needs help. [Read more 🡒]