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Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee was scratched from his scheduled Opening Day start just hours before he was slated to take the mound against the Kansas City Royals after coming down with food poisoning. Bibee’s start will instead go to veteran Ben Lively.

Bibee, 26, had a lot of symbolism riding on Thursday’s outing. Not only would it have qualified as his first career Opening Day assignment, but it would’ve doubled as his first outing since agreeing to terms on a long-term extension. Indeed, Bibee signed a five-year pact worth at least $48 million guaranteed just last week. Said contract has the potential to be worth $68 million over six seasons.

Bibee, originally a fifth-round draft pick, has emerged into an above-average starter for the Guardians. In 56 career starts to date, he’s amassed a 3.25 ERA (128 ERA+) and a 3.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions have been worth an estimated 6.6 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference. Bibee was the logical selection to start on Opening Day for the Guardians, whose longtime ace Shane Bieber continues to rehab from the Tommy John surgery that ended his 2024 season prematurely.

With Bibee unavailable, the Guardians shifted to Lively. He made 29 starts for Cleveland last season, compiling a 3.81 ERA (107 ERA+) and a 2.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Alongside Bibee and Lively, the rest of the Guardians rotation includes Gavin Williams, Luis L. Ortiz, and lefty Logan Allen, who won a springtime competition against Triston McKenzie. (McKenzie, out of options, will begin the season in a relief role.) It’s unclear at present if Bibee will be available to start in what was originally Lively’s scheduled game.

Lively will be opposed by Royals lefty Cole Ragans.