Baseball season has arrived, and the Guardians are set to take the field for the first time in the 2025 season on Thursday on the road against the Kansas City Royals, but one pivotal player won't be making his season debut just yet.
Tanner Bibee was named the Opening Day starting pitcher on March 19. It was an honor he earned after a strong 2024 season that saw him make 31 starts with a 12-8 record, posting a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 187 strikeouts over 173.2 innings.
However, just hours before he was set to take the mound to open the season for the Guardians, Bibee was scratched from the start with acute gastroenteritis, better known as the stomach flu.
With Bibee unable to pitch, the Guardians are turning to Ben Lively to make the start on Opening Day.
Lively started 29 games for the Guardians last season, going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 151.0 innings pitched.
The Guardians were set to start Gavin Williams and Luis Ortiz in Saturday and Sunday's matchups with the Royals, but the starting rotation may be adjusted should Bibee be healthy for the upcoming games.
Cleveland's season gets underway at Lively's 4:10 p.m. first pitch Thursday. After wrapping their season-opening series in Kansas City, the Guards will head to San Diego for a three-game series with the Padres, then to Los Angeles for a three-game series with the Angels before heading home to open Progressive Field's season against the Chicago White Sox on April 8.
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