Robert Stephenson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group, Los Angeles Angels right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson (elbow) has been placed on the 60-day injured list. The 31-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last May and is not expected to return to the mound until sometime in July. Stephenson was unable to pitch at all during the 2024 campaign. In 2023, Stephenson held a strong 3.10 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP across 52 1/3 innings. He tallied 77 punchouts and allowed walks at an 8.0 percent rate. That season, he generated a strong 2.73 xERA and a .180 xBA. By putting him on the 60-day injured list, the Angels were able to open a roster spot for relief pitcher Kenley Jansen, who the team officially signed earlier on Saturday. When Stephenson does return, fantasy managers should expect him to have a high-leverage role in the bullpen.

Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow) said that he's throwing off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since having Tommy John surgery and an internal-brace procedure back in May of last year. Stephenson hopes to be back with the Angels by early July or right around the All-Star break. The 31-year-old veteran signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Halos last offseason but injured his elbow and didn't pitch at all for the team in 2024. Whenever he returns this year, Stephenson will merely be a late-inning setup man in front of hard-throwing Ben Joyce and veteran closer Kenley Jansen, who was signed to a one-year, $10 million contract on Tuesday. Now that he's pretty much blocked for save chances in the Angels' bullpen whenever he returns, fantasy managers can avoid Stephenson.

Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow) said he will have Tommy John surgery with the internal brace on April 30 and he's expecting to have a rehab timeline of 12 to 18 months. The exact nature of his surgery hadn't been revealed until Stephenson talked to the media on Tuesday for the first time since getting injured. We already knew the 31-year-old veteran would miss the rest of 2024, but now we know the exact nature of his surgery. He signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Halos in January but didn't throw a single pitch in the regular season and also was battling a shoulder injury in spring training. There's no guarantee that Stephenson will be ready to roll for the start of the 2025 campaign.