With the Guardians’ season on the line, they declined to reveal whom they would trust to save them.

In the hours after Monday’s game was rained out, Cleveland listed its starter as “To Be Announced” for Game 5, which will be played Tuesday afternoon in The Bronx.

Aaron Civale was set to start Monday, and manager Terry Francona had told Cleveland reporters that afternoon that Civale would get the ball even if the game were pushed back. Yet, as the Yankees announced Nestor Cortes, on three days’ rest, would start instead of the scheduled Jameson Taillon, the Guardians held off on a public decision.

Civale, Cleveland’s No. 4 starter, will be making his postseason debut if the Guardians stick with the 27-year-old righty. If not, they could pivot to ace Shane Bieber, who allowed two runs in 5 ²/₃ innings in Friday’s Game 2 win over the Yankees, in which he threw 101 pitches.

Civale, who has not pitched since Oct. 5, struggled through injuries this season but was at his best late in the year. He hit the injured list three separate times and returned in mid-September from right forearm inflammation to finish the season 4-0 with a 3.27 ERA in his last 22 innings.

Bieber, the two-time All-Star, has posted a 2.03 ERA in a pair of starts in this year’s postseason.

While Cleveland determines a starter, it could benefit from an extra day of rest for its powerful bullpen.

Emmanuel Clase, Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and Enyel De Los Santos will be on multiple days’ rest. The quartet has combined for 8 ²/₃ scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in the series.

Francona’s bullpen has given up two earned runs in 25 ²/₃ playoff innings, with a 0.70 ERA that is the best through the first six games of a postseason in Cleveland history.

With another day of rest that could make Game 4 relievers such as Eli Morgan and Cody Morris more available, the Guardians should have plenty of options behind whoever starts. Before Monday’s game was rained out, Francona said there was “no thought” to using an opener or shelving a starter altogether and turning the contest into a bullpen game.

“We like Civale,” the Guardians manager said Monday afternoon. “The longer he stays out there, the better off we are.”

Francona said once Civale — who earlier this season had missed time with a sore left glute and a right wrist sprain — regained health, he turned a corner.

“Once he was able to pitch with health, he looked like the guy that was going to make an All-Star team last year,” Francona said. “Spins the ball very well.

“I just told him [Sunday] night, I said, ‘Hey, go pitch, you are probably going to see guys warming up in the pen, and I said don’t let it [bother you].”

Whether it is Civale or Bieber, there likely will be plenty of reinforcements awaiting.