Robert

Stephenson

Stephenson was set to undergo season-ending surgery, but the exact procedure remained a mystery until now. The 31-year-old righty, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract back in January, is likely to wind up missing the majority of the 2025 campaign.

It’s a procedural move as Stephenson is going to miss all of the 2024 season after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster, and the Angels are using it to select the contract of Ehire Adrianza.

The development comes roughly 24 hours after the Angels announced that Stephenson, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract back in January, would miss the remainder of the season. The 31-year-old righty never wound up throwing a pitch for Los Angeles after landing on the injured list with shoulder discomfort. He suffered the apparent elbow injury during a minor league rehab appearance last weekend for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Well, that was unexpected. Stephenson had been rehabbing a shoulder injury but was pulled from his latest outing on Saturday after facing just one hitter. The Angels will have another announcement on Thursday where they’ll provide further detail and a potential timeline for Stephenson’s return. Incumbent closer Carlos Estevez’s job security looks a bit stronger based on this development.

Stephenson issued a four-pitch walk before exiting the contest. The right-hander is working his way back from shoulder inflammation, but this does not appear to be a step in the right direction. There should be an update on Stephenson’s status soon, but it’s unlikely he’s coming to help the Angels in the coming days.

Angels manager Ron Washington indicated to reporters that Stephenson is nearing a rehab assignment. The 31-year-old righty has been on the shelf since spring training working his way back from right shoulder inflammation. He’ll presumably operate in a setup capacity once he’s ready to make his Angels debut.

The 31-year-old right-hander is working his way back from inflammation in his pitching shoulder, but he’s progressing nicely and is hopeful that he’ll be able to join the Angels’ bullpen before the month of April is through. With Carlos Estevez gaining more traction in the ninth inning, expect Stephenson to function in a setup role upon his return.

Stephenson told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com he will need a rehab assignment before being able to return. The right-handed reliever was placed on the injured list before Opening Day due to right shoulder inflammation. Assuming he’s able to progress, Stephenson has a chance to return to a high-leverage role with the Halos that could see him pick up save chances throughout 2024.

This is not an unexpected move, but it’s now official. Stephenson’s injured list stint is retroactive to March 25th, so he can come off in under two weeks. We know he played catch last week and threw bullpens earlier this week, so it’s possible he won’t require a long stint on the injured list to start the year. While he will not be thrust into the closer’s role as soon as he’s activated, he should resume pitching in high-leverage situations and remains a good bet to eventually claim a large portion of the Angels’ save share in 2024.

Not great. There was optimism Stephenson would be ready for the outset of the season, but it’s becoming apparent that he’s almost certainly headed for the injured list. The 31-year-old righty has undergone additional testing to rule out anything more serious, but won’t be cleared to resume throwing until the discomfort subsides.