Guardians Sign Ben Lively To Two-Year Minor Deal During Tommy John Recovery

The Cleveland Guardians finalized a two-year minor-league contract with right-hander Ben Lively on Feb. 19, 2026, a move that keeps the recovering pitcher inside the organization as he completes his comeback from Tommy John surgery. The deal secures Lively a place in the club’s player pool while he continues on-field work at the team’s Spring Training complex.

Lively is coming off Tommy John surgery recovery and, under the terms announced by the organization, will remain with the club at the Spring Training complex to work through his rehabilitation and throwing program. The two-year minor-league agreement gives the Guardians control of Lively through the contract term while he progresses through structured recovery at the team facility.

By finalizing a multi-year minor-league contract rather than a short-term rehab arrangement, Cleveland has locked in Lively’s services for the next two seasons and retained direct oversight of his rehab schedule and workload at the Spring Training complex. That continuity places Lively under the Guardians’ medical and player-development staff as he moves toward a return to game action.

For Lively, the contract provides roster stability during a rehabilitation process that often stretches across a full season or more after Tommy John surgery. Remaining at the team’s Spring Training complex to work gives him daily access to the Guardians’ training staff and facilities as he rebuilds arm strength and progresses through throwing milestones outlined by the organization.

The Guardians announced the deal as part of their early Spring Training roster management, finalizing the two-year minor-league contract on Feb. 19 while clubs continue to shape depth and rehab plans ahead of the regular season. Lively’s presence at the Spring Training complex means the club can monitor his throwing program directly and slot him into minor-league assignments when the medical staff clears him to face hitters and resume competitive innings.

With the agreement in place, Lively will spend the initial phase of his recovery cycle working inside the Guardians’ Spring Training environment, a setup that aims to align his rehabilitation timetable with the organization’s pitching-development protocols. The two-year length of the minor-league contract gives both Lively and the Guardians a runway to assess readiness and determine the appropriate next steps within the club’s minor-league system.