Angels reliever Robert Stephenson announced that he’ll undergo Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure next week (X link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). That’ll likely sideline him a few months into the 2025 season.
The Halos revealed last week that an elbow injury would cause Stephenson to miss all of 2024. While the team didn’t indicate at the time whether he’d need surgery, it’s not a surprising development. The righty said he’s hopeful of returning early next year, although the timeline for a Tommy John recovery is usually in the 14-16 month range.
Stephenson didn’t get to pitch during his first season with the Angels. He was delayed in camp by a sore shoulder. He reported the more significant elbow pain during his first (and only) rehab outing for Triple-A Salt Lake. That evidently revealed UCL damage, which has contractual ramifications. Stephenson’s deal contained a conditional option for the 2027 season that would go into effect if he suffered a serious elbow injury. While he’ll make $11MM annually over the next three years, the Angels now have a very modest $2.5MM club option for ’27.
Of course, the team would have preferred to have Stephenson on the Angel Stadium mound this year instead. They envisioned him as an anchor of their setup corps after his breakout with the Rays. The hard-throwing righty pitched to a 2.35 ERA with a 42.9% strikeout rate in 38 1/3 innings after Tampa Bay acquired him last June. He’ll miss all of this season, his age-31 campaign. The option year covers his age-34 season.
Hahaha I’m sorry but just such an Angels thing. Best of luck to him.
Yeah, but at least the Angels didn’t give a pitcher over 300 million, who will be the team’s closer by June
Yamamoto? Lol that’s just idiotic and I am not a Dodgers fan ♂️
angels try not to sign people without them getting injured right after challenge
(99% impossible)
Buyers beware with Rays pitchers. The organization has no problems blowing up their arms because they know they’re not gonna resign them.
Who’s running this runaway train I haven’t seen Minasian or Moreno I wouldn’t be surprised if Arte Moreno move the Angels to Oakland since he didn’t get his way with the Anaheim parking lot sale. That’s probably why he wanted to sell the team He’ll move the team somewhere.
There’s a lot of truth (and sadness) with this statement.
Cut bait with Jose Suarez he lost today’s game, the rubber game of the Orioles and Angels Medic
I would agree that it his, however to have that provision/option condition in his contact they obviously Seen something in the physical that made them think this was a real possibility. I would also argue they didn’t expect it in year 1 tho
Forget Boras, this guy has best agent out there. Secured $33Million contract for middle reliever w/4.64 career era. Represented in nice 42 game audition in Tampa after getting waived, an otherwise middling journeyman P … Show Me the Money ! Crazy !
Yeah seriously, this was a bad contract the minute it was signed.
Boras may be slipping with getting stars overpaid, but he still sure can make a dumpster look like a lamborghini
The same team who just had to get rid of Iglesias seeking desperately for quality relief and overpaying. The organization Makes NO SENSE. It’s not unlike the Pierce Johnson signing tho in that both banked off half a season. But was a good bit more money.
It might have been a bad contract but it’s kinda lame to say that after he gets hurt.
Plenty said it at the time. To me it’s because it was risky as heck and they’ve had so many bad ones already. They rarely make a signing that isn’t extremely risky.
The only point of taking the risk is if you get the bargain that should accompany it. If not why take it?
Fine say it then not after he has an injury where he’s gonna miss over a season. Saying it now today is lame.
It was more like an 18-game stretch. He was kind of mediocre in his first 24 games with TB (3.63 ERA) followed by 18 games with a 0.56. Did the Angels look at the 16 innings and decide “I think he’s finally figured it out” after almost 8 years in the league?
They looked at the Ks in all likelihood, and I doubt they took a 3.60 era as being indicative of performance over 24 games, tho I’m sure they looked at the “underlying numbers”.
Typical Angels signing
Ugggggh.
What is the point of TJS and the brace? That should be redundant
It might be just internal brace, people get it confused. However there is a hybrid option that’s both.
A brace means he might be back early next year, TJ is late next year.
There’s a middle option with both minor tj surgery with a brace, but the writers see ucl and assume Tommy john. Also when they 6 months it’s a year usually.
Do you know where the literature on this would be? Because my understanding was one was replacement and the other is fixation. You can’t replace AND fix the UCL simultaneously.
I can find it I was looking it up with ohtani. I’ll pull it up. Do you what info on the brace or the hybrid.
I don’t, but they talked about it today, or yesterday, on the CBS Sports fantasy baseball podcast when discussing Spencer Strider.
Before that, I wouldn’t have know anything about the difference.
Aaron Rodgers was talking about it because he got it for his Achilles said it’s artificial bands to act like the ligaments with a plate. I believe they can take it off and do the full surgery if it doesn’t work. The hybrid is a cleanup with a brace. I don’t think he would do that and the article is wrong.
That’s basically what’s been dubbed TJ2.0.
Reading it my thoughts on it are that for starters apparently he had a TJ surgery before. Secondly he is getting his ligament replaced with the TJ but also getting a brace to help protect his replacement from being damaged. However im not truly sure what the brace is but i would imagine it either strengthens or protects your ucl if not both
A TJ replacement uses ligaments from either your own body or a doner to replace the ucl while a brace uses a collagen coated tape that is attached to the bones where the damage to the ligament/ligaments are. So i imagine my above thought is right in that he is getting it replaced while also getting the brace to protect it. It says that the brace provides better resistance then the TJ with faster recovery but being he is getting both the recovery is full on
Burying the Angels is a common commenter practice at MLBTR, and it’s generally warranted, but the Stephenson signing doesnt qualify as an Angels gaffe imo. Below is some Stephenson related info culled from MLBTR over the offseason:
– “Free agent pitcher Robert Stephenson is proving to be quite popular this offseason, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com.”
– #27 on MLBTRs Top 50 Free Agents list.
– Dodgers, Cubs, Orioles, Yankees, Rangers, Astros, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies were all reported to be interested in signing Stephenson.
@angels & nl west yeah he was one of the top reliever options that had a lot of interest. Perry bit a little to early, but it is what it is. I believe he was rumored around 46 million as well.
We agree on this. And they get him in 2027 instead of 2024. This has miles to go before being a bad deal.
I think people are over reacting.
And I’m sure he had noooooo idea something might be wrong with his elbow when signed that big money contract.
The team did a physical before the signing was official.
Dodgers have the top surgeon on their staff, Moreno most likely has the cheapest doctors you can find.
This sounds about right.
It’s not that big of a deal. The Angels are unlikely to need him this year and get him an extra year.
By 2027 they may need him. I think people are just reading the headline.
See you in 2026.
Which is it? TJ or internal brace?
I’m guessing internal brace because the hybrid version doesn’t make sense. I say you either get the bandaid or the surgery. He already had tj
Miguel Sano will have a better 2024 as a pitcher than Stephenson.
Sounds about right.
Did Anthony Rendon touch him on the right elbow? The Angels are a minor league team. Likely the poorest run franchise in major league baseball. Also likely a last place finish, which is saying alot considering they’re in a division with the A’s. Mike Scioscia is rolling over in his grave. Ohh wait.
If the angels were a minor team, Pete Rose would have slept with them.
BaseballisLife – “Which is it? TJ or internal brace?”
“… he’ll undergo Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure…”
Apparently you muted me so I’m answering your question here instead of in a direct reply to you.
The point is that literally doesn’t make sense. IB is an alternative to TJS. Doesn’t make sense to get both.
As far as I know, it doesn’t make sense to get both.
That’s what I thought too but that’s what the article said…weird.
Who would mute you Prov?
Even when you say Adell has no chance, which I have always disagreed, you are not offensive.
You’re the antithesis of offensive.
Thanks Halo. I’ve noticed a couple of guys have muted me. Some people can’t handle a differing opinion I suppose.
BTW, Adell is proving me wrong with the bat. He’s batting .314 going into today. He’s earned a starting role in my opinion. Hopefully the strike outs continue to decline.
This is one of the Angels worst signings.
Considering it’s the Arte Angels, that is saying something.
So he might be back towards the end of next year and possibly be with the Angels for two more years after next. Would this contract still be considered a bust if he has good last two years performance wise?
Would he still be counted towards the 40 man roster this next offseason, even though he would still be recovering from Tommy John surgery?
You nailed it. It’s not a bad contract yet.
He won’t be on the 40-man roster until he gets activated sometime mid-next season.
I don’t think Minasian’s philosophy of free agent middle relievers, fast tracking draft picks, and filling any gaps with recycled players from the scrap heap, has worked out.
I think people are missing 2.5 million dollar option in 2027.
They don’t need him this year, they may in 2027.
@halo11fan did not know about the option must’ve knew something was iffy but considering he’s the only one under contract past this year is scary for the bullpen.
When is this bullpen not scary? I doubt Perry will be here next year, maybe we’ll get a GM who knows how to add to the pen.
Very true. hopefully they trade all the expiring contracts to bring in whatever they can get.
Embrace the drama. It’s here to stay
The curse of Artie strikes again!
It would be interesting to see what each club’s insurance policy is on injured players like this. Even Rendon. I once read that Clayton Kershaw couldn’t play in the last WBC because he was deemed uninsurable.