On a day when the Los Angeles Angels lost DH Jorge Soler for seven games due to a suspension, the Angels also got some bad news that will have a far deeper, long-term impact on their pitching staff, as they learned that reliever Robert Stephenson will miss the entire 2026 season due to a elbow surgery.
If there's a silver lining, it's about this news not being unexpected. Stephenson has struggled with thoracic outlet syndrome after coming back from Tommy John surgery, and he traveled to Texas near the end of spring training to explore possible options, including finding a way to make it through this season.
Now that won't be happening, and manager Kurt Suzuki is sympathetic.
"This guy wants to pitch, this guy wants to be good," manager Kurt Suzuki said in a report written by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. "Up until he had that setback in Spring Training, he was in a good spot mentally. He was excited, he was happy to be back on the mound. So this is heartbreaking. You think about the feelings of the player. That's the first thing for me. All the stuff that he's been through and for it to happen again, it definitely hits you."
The other downside of this news is that Stephenson's three-year, $33 million contract is now a total wash. He signed the deal before the 2024 season, and the Angels have gotten virtually nothing for their money, although teams do get injury compensation that's part and parcel with contracts at this level.
Stephenson's situation is one reason the Angels played reliever roulette in the offseason, signing one reclamation project after another and hoping one of them would stick.
They may have gotten lucky in that regard. Reliever Jordan Romero has stuck the landing so far in Anaheim, with four saves out of the gate while allowing no runs in five innings. It's too early to say that Romero will be the guy going forward, but it's been an encouraging development for a team that has .500 as its basic goal for the season and is currently 6-7.
The concern right now is the rest of the bullpen. The Angels rotation has been inconsistent, and short starts have been taxing the bullpen. Relievers Chase Silseth, Brent Suter and Sam Bachman have been stellar, but Ryan Zeferjahn has had some struggles. Stephenson's absence is glaring right now, but at least there's a plan in place going forward with reliever Kirby Yates about to start a rehab assignment.
"He definitely would have been one of our key guys," Suzuki said. "So anytime it is a guy like Bob, it's tough. But you just got to figure out a way to get it done."
