Guardians might be better off anyway after pitching injury leads to ALCS roster shakeup

The ALCS did not get off to nearly the start the Cleveland Guardians had hoped for. Starter Alex Cobb gave up a home run to Juan Soto, reliever Joey Cantillo couldn't find the strike zone and a Cleveland offense that had previously mashed left-handed pitching was silenced over six innings by Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon in a 5-2 loss. As if that weren't bad enough, things appeared to get even worse after the game, when the team announced that Cobb had been taken off the ALCS roster due to a bank injury.

But while pitching injuries are never what you want this time of year, there's an argument to be made that Cobb's balky back is actually a blessing in disguise for Cleveland. Cobb is a sturdy veteran, but under the circumstances, his replacement might be an even better fit on this roster — and could play a big role in the series moving forward.

Alex Cobb removed from Guardians ALCS roster, Ben Lively in

It's a heartbreaking end to a tough season for Cobb, who recovered from offseason hip surgery only to battle shoulder and blister trouble en route to just three starts during the regular season. This spells the end of Cobb's year, as he'll now be ineligible to return should the Guardians make the World Series. But when one door closes, another opens, and this is a huge opportunity for an arm that played a big role in getting Cleveland to this point.

Ben Lively wasn't in the Guardians' plans at the start of spring training, but injury gave him a chance, and he took full advantage with a 3.81 ERA (107 ERA+) over 151 innings across 29 starts. He was understandably frustrated to be left off both the ALDS and initial ALCS rosters after that sort of performance, even if you can understand why Cleveland would opt for the battle-tested Cobb in October. Lively's production this season was impressive, though, and it's hard not to feel a little better about how he might fare in a hypothetical Game 5 compared to a second go-round with Cobb. He also gives Vogt another length option out of the bullpen should Cleveland need it — which it might, with young righty Gavin Williams set to make his first-ever postseason start in Game 4.

In a vacuum, Cobb is a better pitcher with a more impressive track record. But this version of Cobb, with hardly any innings under his belt and a touch-and-go feel for his trademark splitter, didn't inspire a ton of confidence, and it might be for the best that the team gets an excuse to try something else in its rotation.