ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Sixteen months after signing a $33 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, reliever Robert Stephenson has finally thrown a pitch for his new team.
Stephenson missed last season after undergoing elbow surgery in May 2024 that included an ulnar collateral ligament repair with an internal brace. He was activated off the injured list for Wednesday night’s series finale against the New York Yankees and struck out his first two batters in a perfect sixth inning.
The Angels also selected the contract of utilityman Scott Kingery from Triple-A Salt Lake. Veteran infielder Tim Anderson, a two-time All-Star who batted .205 in 31 games for the Angels, was designated for assignment, and reliever Jake Eder was optioned to Salt Lake.
“Honestly, to me, this is up there with making my (big league) debut, you know?” Stephenson said before the game. “I feel like it’s going to be pretty special for me. … It felt different walking into the clubhouse. Like, I can actually contribute something.”
The 33-year-old right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 42 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, striking out 60 batters and walking eight in 38 1/3 innings.
He should bolster an Angels bullpen that entered Wednesday with a major league-worst 6.31 ERA and lost hard-throwing setup man Ben Joyce to season-ending shoulder surgery in late April.
Stephenson had a 3.60 ERA over five innings in five minor league rehabilitation appearances. He mixes a 97 mph fastball with a sharp 85 mph slider and an 89 mph splitter.
Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said he hopes to ease Stephenson back into a high-leverage role, but he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of immediately using Stephenson to hold an eighth-inning lead for closer Kenley Jansen.
“I want to give him a chance to get settled in,” Washington said, “but if the opportunity presents itself (in a high-leverage spot) and he’s the best we have at the time, it will happen.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mike Digiovanna, The Associated Press
