ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Robert Stephenson, who received the Angels’ largest free agent contract this winter, will miss the entire 2024 season because of an elbow injury.
The team announced Stephenson’s status after Wednesday night’s comeback win against the Tampa Bay Rays, but declined to give further specifics on the exact nature of the injury or what type of procedure he would undergo until Thursday.
Stephenson, 31, missed most of spring training with a sore shoulder, but he felt an elbow issue four pitches into his first rehab outing at Triple-A on Saturday.
He went for an evaluation on Monday and then sought a second opinion.
Losing Stephenson is a difficult blow for this year’s bullpen, but with a potential silver lining in the long term. The Angels put a clause in Stephenson’s three-year, $33 million deal that gives them an option for a fourth year at just $2.5 million, if Stephenson misses 130 consecutive days on the injured list with an elbow injury. It is essentially insurance against Tommy John surgery.
The Angels would not have to decide whether they’re picking up that option until after the 2026 season.
