Guardians pitcher Ben Lively has Tommy John surgery, expected to miss 12-18 months

CLEVELAND (AP) — Guardians pitcher Ben Lively had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday morning.

Dr. Keith Meister did a right elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with a flexor tendon repair on the 33-year-old Lively in Dallas.

Lively will have a postoperative recheck Thursday before reporting to the Guardians' spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, to begin his rehabilitation. He is expected to miss 12-18 months.

Lively exited the May 12 game against the Milwaukee Brewers due to a strained right flexor tendon after going three scoreless innings. He felt some discomfort after a start at Washington on May 6, but didn’t experience it again until he threw a couple of warm up pitches in the game against the Brewers.

Lively was 2-2 with a 3.22 ERA in nine starts this season. He allowed only one run in 14 innings in three May starts.

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