As the 2026 MLB campaign approaches its conclusion, the Cleveland Guardians are slowly but surely getting healthy.
Ahead of the Guardians' series finale against the Kansas City Royals from Progressive Field on Sunday, August 30, Vice President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti shared updates on two of the team's big-league calibre arms.
Right-handed now-relief pitcher Slade Cecconi is slowly but surely building up his volume, while right-handed starter Ben Lively is looking sharper by the day.
Both have played important roles in the pitching staff's agenda in Cleveland.
Cecconi went on the Guardians' 10-day injured list back on August 7 due to right arm fatigue. The move came just days after the coaching staff decided to move him from the starting rotation to the bullpen, a change that had to be made after the front office traded for Washington Nationals standout lefty Foster Griffin .
The 27-year-old Cecconi began rehabbing from injury this past week, spending time in Triple-A Columbus with the Clippers.
In his debut, he tossed a scoreless inning of work on 26 pitches. He allowed a base hit and a walk, but did strike out three batters . There was a chance he could have gone longer in the game, however, his high pitch count resulted in the team playing it safe and removing him after a single frame.
While he didn't look too bad, Cleveland's front office is understandably playing things slow. As the year comes to a close and the postseason race continues to heat up, his presence in the bullpen could be really important for the major league squad.
On Sunday, Antonetti said he is expected to pitch in three innings, ramping up his volume further and building him back up to regular contributions on the bump.
When Antonetti shared an update on Lively , he granted an extra boost of confidence to the veteran.
"[Ben's] stuff quality has actually improved," he said. "He's throwing a bit harder than he did when he was your last pitch in a major league game, but his command hasn't been quite as sharp."
As long as the 34-year-old doesn't suffer any setbacks and starts to get more control on the baseball, he should be in the big leagues.
Last pitching for the Guardians in 2025, Lively impressed across nine starts. He tossed a 3.22 ERA with a 1.187 WHIP across 44.2 innings . He didn't post an incredible amount of strikeouts at 29, but limited the damage on the basepaths.
Being in the organization for three campaigns now, many members of the front office and coaching staff have praised his leadership in the clubhouse.
With countless youngsters preparing for what could be their first taste of postseason action, he is someone Cleveland would love to get to Progressive Field by the time the regular season concludes. But first, he has to get fully healthy after recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
As the Guardians move into the final month of the year, all eyes will be on the September call-ups and whether Lively or Cecconi will get the nod back to the big leagues.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi as Guardians Front Office Provides Positive Updates on Injury-Riddled Pitching Staff .
