On June 4, 2025, Cleveland Guardians starter and pending free agent Ben Lively had Tommy John surgery with a right flexor tendon repair. At the time, he was deemed out for 12-16 months.
Lively had been enjoying success with the Guardians up until that point, posting a 3.22 ERA after his 3.81 mark in 2024. During the offseason, they re-signed Lively to a two-year minor league deal, knowing that the 2026 campaign would be mostly rehab work.
However, they got a boost on Saturday, when it was revealed that the veteran right-hander will be taking an important step toward contributing this year…