Angels' $33 Million Pitcher Expected to Miss Start of Season Due to Injury

The Los Angeles Angels have had a peculiar offseason.

Waiting just a few hours after the final pitch of the 2024 season was thrown and their cross-town rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned champions of the baseball world, the Angels started to acquire talent by trading for veteran Jorge Soler.

The moves didn't stop there as they added veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud, infielder Kevin Newman, pitcher Kyle Hendricks. Probably the biggest offseason fish they reeled in was southpaw pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

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Kikuchi inked a three-year $63 million deal to head to Los Angeles on Nov. 27, but general manager Perry Minasian made a comment at the introductory news conference that was a bit of a head-scratcher looking back.

“We’ve been pretty aggressive. We’re going to continue to be aggressive,” Minasian said. “I wouldn’t say anything’s off-limits.”

The first sentence of the statement couldn't be more true. A 63-win team in 2024 making as many moves as they have was certainly aiming in the right direction, but the second part of Minasian's remarks are, thus far, false.

The only non-minor league deals the Halos have made since that news conference was adding Chuckie Robinson who appears to be a third-string catcher, and reliever Garrett McDaniels by way of Rule 5.

That doesn't quite scream 'aggressive.'

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MLB Insider Sam Blum of The Athletic provided a bit of an unfortunate update in terms of pitching.

Many Angels fans remember the Jan. 2024 signing of Robert Stephenson who inked a three-year, $33 million deal. That April, it was announced Stephenson suffered a UCL injury that would require Tommy John surgery.

Blum reported that unfortunately, "Stephenson is not expected to be available to start the season."

Stephenson's last full year came in 2023 splitting time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays. In 60 games his ERA was 3.10, the lowest mark of his career. He also added 77 strikeouts to only 16 walks over 52.1 innings pitched.

When Stephenson finally debuts for the Angels, he will surely be an asset to their current bullpen.

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