Mar 27, 2025, 01:54 PM ET
Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee was scratched from Thursday’s Opening Day start against the host Kansas City Royals due to illness.
The team announced that Bibee was dealing with acute gastroenteritis and would be replaced on the mound by right-hander Ben Lively.
Manager Stephen Vogt said Bibee was feeling better Thursday morning but that it wouldn’t have been fair for him to take the ball after struggling the past couple of days.
“To have to tell him that we’re not going to have you pitch today, he was obviously upset,” Vogt said of his conversation with Bibee. “He wanted to go despite feeling like he has the last 36 hours, but it just wasn’t the right thing to do. You know, you don’t know what if something goes wrong, if something happens to him.”
Bibee, 26, had been scheduled to make his first Opening Day start after finishing 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 31 starts last season. He struck out 187 batters and walked 44 in 173⅔ innings. He had signed a new five-year contract with the Guardians on Saturday that multiple reports said was worth at least $48 million.
He could face the Royals on Saturday or Sunday, but Vogt wants to assess things before revising the rotation.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said he was informed by Vogt on Wednesday that Bibee might not be available to go.
“That’s my protocol. I don’t play games,” Vogt said. “You can’t trick anybody in baseball. The only thing you’re doing is creating more work for the staff and support staff by not communicating.”
Lively had been expected to make his season debut next week during the Guardians’ road series with the San Diego Padres. He will be only the fourth Cleveland pitcher to start an opener since 2012. Justin Masterson got the call from 2012 through 2014 followed by Corey Kluber (2015-19) and Shane Bieber (2020-24).
The 33-year-old Lively finished 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts last season. For his career, he is 1-2 with a 4.60 ERA in three starts against the Royals.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
