Los Angeles Angels reliever Robert Stephenson has no set timetable for his return after being placed on the injured list due to a stretched nerve in his bicep, just two games into his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
“Kind of a weird injury, to be honest,” Stephenson said. “Unfortunately, I don’t really know what the timetable is, because they just don’t react the same way. You can’t treat it like a muscle or a ligament or anything, so kind of just waiting for it to settle down before I start throwing again.”
In his return to MLB, Robert Stephenson delivered a perfect inning against the New York Yankees, striking out two batters. However, just three pitches into his next outing against the Cleveland Guardians, the right-hander signaled to the dugout and exited the game.
“The treatment is essentially just kind of resting it,” Stephenson said. “You don’t want to aggravate it. But there’s not really a ton they can do for it.”
The Angels signed Robert Stephenson to a three-year, \$33 million deal following the 2023 season, but he missed the entire year after tearing his UCL during rehab for another injury, which led to Tommy John surgery. His two outings this season are his only appearances in an Angels uniform so far. Stephenson maintains that his current injury is unrelated to his UCL or the previous surgery.
Before his injury, Robert Stephenson was a dependable bullpen option for the Tampa Bay Rays, posting a 2.35 ERA over 38.1 innings and recording 60 strikeouts. In hopes of gaining more insight into his current condition, Stephenson plans to consult with a different doctor in the coming weeks.
“It could be something that disappears overnight, could be something that takes a couple weeks or longer,” he said. “They’re kind of tricky, I guess.”
The Angels will hope for Stephenson’s injury to sort itself out as soon as possible, as they’re 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and sit third in the AL West. With the return of Mike Trout and Yoan Moncada’s near recovery, the Halos could string something together with another strong arm in the bullpen.
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