Angels Provide Concerning Injury Update on Robert Stephenson
The Los Angeles Angels had hopes of getting reliever Robert Stephenson back in the bullpen soon, but those hopes have been dashed.
Stephenson left his first rehab outing after throwing just four pitches on Saturday night. The velocity was between 96 and 98 mph, but he was locating pitches out of the strike zone. After the fourth pitch, Stephenson called for a trainer and was removed from the game.
“We’re going to get him examined,” manager Ron Washington said Sunday morning. “I don’t have any more than that.”
Stephenson has yet to debut for the Angels since signing a three-year, $33 million deal over the winter. He suffered a shoulder injury before appearing in any Cactus League games and an MRI revealed inflammation. He was progressing towards an April return, throwing to hitters in Anaheim before landing in Triple-A Salt Lake City for his rehab assignment.
“The way he was throwing the baseball before he went on rehab was electric,” Washington said. “You just wanted him in your bullpen. And then something like that happens. But until we know what it is, I’m not going to speculate.”
Los Angeles anticipates Stephenson will join Matt Moore as the primary set-up men for closer Carlos Estévez. Even without the star of their 'pen, the Angels have been able to hold every lead they have had. The bullpen's roughest outings have all taken place when the Angels were already trailing on the scoreboard.
The Angels can only hope the injury is contained to Stephenson's shoulder, which is still bothering him, but they are aware of his past elbow issues. The team was prepared for any type of injury scenario. A clause in his contract adds a $2.5 million club option for 2027 if Stephenson were to sustain an elbow injury that required a stint on the injured list for at least 130 consecutive days.
