The Cleveland Guardians may already have one of the better rotations in baseball, but the real issue has never been the top end. It’s what happens if the depth gets tested.
Parker Messick, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi give the club a strong starting group, and Logan Allen is lined up to start Saturday night’s game. Even so, the Guardians could feel the squeeze fast if injuries hit.
That’s why the latest update on Ben Lively matters.
Lively, a veteran right-hander who has given Cleveland solid innings in 2024 and 2025, underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2025. He signed a two-year deal with the Guardians in the offseason with the understanding that most, if not all, of 2026 would be spent rehabbing. Now, there’s a real sign of progress.
Manager Stephen Vogt said Lively flew back to Arizona on Saturday after throwing a live batting practice session on Friday, and the news around his recovery is encouraging.
“Yeah, he’s in his live BP progression, which is really good news. You know, he’s been up around 93-95 (mph).
So it’s really good… it was great to see Ben, first of all. I mean, he’s such a big part of who we are, but he’s getting healthy, starting his live BP progression.
He wants to pitch. I mean, it’s no secret.
But obviously, we need to be smart, and we want him to pitch for another 7 years, not just get back to help us this year,” Vogt said before Game 1 of the doubleheader on Saturday.
Lively was originally expected to miss 12-14 months after the surgery, which keeps open the possibility of a September return if everything goes right. Still, Cleveland is not interested in cutting corners. The plan is to keep him on track without inviting a setback, even if that means waiting longer than anyone would like.
That caution makes sense. Lively posted a 3.81 ERA in 2024 and followed it with a 3.22 mark last year before the injury. When he’s healthy, he gives the Guardians a dependable back-end starter with real big-league experience.
He’s not there yet, though. Live batting practice is a step forward, but it usually comes before rehab games, and he’ll likely need several of those to build back up and get fully stretched out.
For now, the update is simple: Lively is moving in the right direction. Whether that turns into a return this season is still something the Guardians will have to wait a few months to find out.
In Other News...
Four Former Guardians Could Suddenly Put Cleveland Back In Deadline Talk
The trade deadline has a way of turning old names into fresh possibilities, and four former Guardians are suddenly sitting in that lane as August 3 approaches. Josh Bell, Tyler Freeman, Sam Hentges and Lane Thomas all have situations that could make them useful to other clubs, whether it is a veteran bat on a manageable deal, a controllable bench piece, a reliever coming back into form or an outfielder whose new team has not gotten the return it expected.
For Cleveland, the intrigue is less about nostalgia than about how these players might ripple through the market. Bells contract and Freemans years of control give him a different kind of appeal than Hentges, whose value has been rebuilt after arm injuries, while Thomas is attached to a Royals club that has fallen hard enough to make almost anything possible. None of it guarantees a move, but it is the kind of deadline chatter that can quickly pull the Guardians back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Depth Piece Suffers Another Brutal Setback At Worst Time
CJ Kayfus season has come to an abrupt end, another frustrating turn for a Cleveland depth piece who had been trying to carve out a bigger role after limited major league time. The injury came in a minor league game, and it leaves the Guardians without one of the organizational options they had been hoping could keep building momentum this year.
Kayfus had already missed time earlier in the season with an oblique injury, so this latest setback only adds to a stop-start year. The good news for Cleveland is that he is expected to make a full recovery and be back in the mix by Spring Training 2027, but for now the focus shifts to rehab and a long wait before he gets another chance to push for a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Could Finally Cash In Pitching Depth For A Needed Bat
The Guardians have spent years building one of baseballs deeper pitching pipelines, and that kind of surplus can eventually become currency when the lineup needs a boost. A young arm at Double-A Akron has already drawn attention for the promise that made him a first-round pick, even as the early returns at that level have been uneven and the long-term picture remains bigger than a few rough outings.
For Cleveland, the appeal is straightforward: if the front office decides it is time to convert some of that pitching depth into a bat, a premium prospect gives it a chance to shop from strength. Nothing has been finalized, but the possibility alone is enough to keep the conversation going, especially with the Guardians still looking for offense that can help balance the roster. [Read more 🡒]