Guardians Pitcher Gets Candid on Jarring Opening Day Announcement

This Cleveland Guardians pitcher has opened up on his involvement in a surprising MLB opening day announcement.

Mar 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively (39) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Tanner Bibee was supposed to be the Cleveland Guardians' opening day starter against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, but the right-hander was a last-minute scratch due to an illness.

That unexpectedly put the ball in Ben Lively's hand for the season opener, and while he didn't put forth his best showing, allowing three runs in five innings, he did enough to keep the Guardians in the game, and Cleveland ultimately won in extra innings.

Afterward, Lively shared his mentality heading into the impromptu start, and it seemed like he was more than ready for the opportunity.

"Let's go. Foot on the pedal," Lively said, via Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. "That was a big thing with me last year. Once I get a call like this and saying you're pitching, first thought: ‘Let’s go. Hit the gas and let's rumble.’"

Of course, Lively was a pleasant surprise for the Guardians last season, as Cleveland signed him in December 2023 after a rough campaign with the Cincinnati Reds.

The 33-year-old ended up becoming a key cog in the Guardians' rotation, going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA while allowing 139 hits and registering 118 strikeouts over 151 frames.

Funny enough, Lively actually spent parts of two seasons with the Royals in 2018 and 2019, but only made six appearances throughout that stretch.

The righty is well-traveled, now having pitched for four major-league teams as well as spending some time in South Korea. He owns a lifetime 4.54 ERA in the bigs.

We'll see if Lively can once again establish himself as a crucial component of Cleveland's pitching staff this year.

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