Two-Minute Drill: Panthers face Hurricanes in ECF; FHSAA softball finals
The Florida Panthers are one step away from making into their third straight Stanley Cup Finals; FHSAA softball finals begin Tuesday, May 20.
- Cleveland Guardians pitcher Ben Lively will undergo Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair, ending his 2025 season.
- Lively suffered a right elbow injury during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 12.
- Lively, a Gulf Breeze native, was in his second season with the Guardians and coming off a career-best year in 2024.
Ben Lively’s 2025 season is coming to an abrupt end.
Lively, a Gulf Breeze native, is set to have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow as well as a flexor tendon repair, the Cleveland Guardians posted on social media on May 23.
Lively originally sought a second opinion in his right elbow with Dr. Keith Meister, in Arlington, Texas, according to the Guardians, who also confirmed “the presence of a flexor tendon injury while also noting medial elbow joint laxity due to an insufficient ulnar collateral ligament.”
Cleveland also said that its team physicians and Mesiter believe the joint laxity “is placing added stress on the flexor muscles and have recommended UCL reconstruction along with flexor tendon repair.”
The surgery, which has not been scheduled yet, but is expected to happen in the “coming days” with Meister. Lively is expected to miss upward of 12 to 16 months, effectively ending his 2025 season. It could also bleed into the 2026 campaign.
“We feel horrible for Ben,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said to MLB.com. “This is a big hit for him and his career, and a big hit for us. Ben’s meant the world to this team since I’ve been here. He’s (brought) stability in the rotation for us. The teammate that he is, we’re definitely going to miss him. It’s a tough day.”
The initial concern came after Lively left after three innings in his start against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 12 due to right forearm inflammation, before going on the 15-day injured list the next day with a right flexor tendon strain.
Lively played in nine games for Cleveland this season, all of which were starts on the mound, compiling a 2-2 record with a 3.22 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.
Lively, a 2010 alum of Gulf Breeze, notably was the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Guardians this season, throwing against the Kansas City Royals after the projected starter, Tanner Bibee, was scratched. The day was Lively’s first Opening Day start.
Lively, a five-year MLB veteran who’s in his second season with the Guardians, was coming off a career year during the 2024 campaign with a 13-10 record, and 118 strikeouts in 29 games and a 3.81 ERA.
Since 2017, Lively has been with Philadelphia, Kansas City and Cincinnati before signing a one-year contract in 2023 with the Guardians. He signed another one-year deal this past December for 2025 worth $2.25 million at the age of 32.
