CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively will be examined by team doctors Tuesday after leaving Cleveland’s 5-0 win Monday against Milwaukee following just three innings and 45 pitches.
Manager Stephen Vogt said the club should have some more answers by then as to what has been bothering the right-hander for at least his last two starts.
Lively was cruising along, having allowed just three base runners on a hit and two walks through three innings. But when he walked out to the mound to start the fourth inning, something did not feel right. That’s when he signaled to the dugout and head athletic trainer Jeff Desjardins went out to have a look.
Desjardins was quickly joined by Vogt and pitching coach Carl Willis and it was not long before Lively was walking off the field and a call was being made to the Cleveland bullpen.
According to Vogt, this was not the first time Lively has dealt with inflammation in the same forearm.
“He dealt with it a little bit last year and then his last start in Washington was dealing with it,” Vogt said. “That’s why we got him out of there early.”
Lively pitched into the sixth inning on May 6 against the Nationals and was at just 63 pitches when he exited that outing having allowed one run on two hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
On Monday, the forearm tightness acted up a little earlier.
“He felt great and then it just wasn’t going away,” Vogt said. “We just wanted to be safe and get him out of there. More testing tomorrow, so we should have some more answers.”
If Lively requires a trip to the injured list for any length of time, Cleveland has a few options to take his spot. They would not need a fifth starter potentially until May 20 in Minnesota. Left-hander Doug Nikhazy made one start against Boston on April 26 and walked six batters, allowing six earned runs in three innings in his major league debut.
Nikhazy has made two starts at Triple-A since returning to Columbus and given up six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings with five walks.
Slade Cecconi, acquired in the Josh Naylor trade in December, has made three rehab starts for the Clippers with 10 strikeouts and a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings as he recovers from an oblique injury suffered in spring training.
If neither Nikhazy or Cecconi are ready, Kolby Allard could be a third option. He threw 45 pitches in three innings of relief work Tuesday as he earned his second hold of the season in Cleveland’s 5-0 win. It was the third time Allard had pitched in length out of the bullpen after logging six innings against Boston following Nikhazy’s short outing and another four at Toronto on May 3.