Angels' $33 Million Pitcher Joins Team in New York Hinting at Imminent Roster Move

Stephenson's arrival signals he could be activated off the injured list soon. The reliever made two appearances for Single-A Inland Empire on a minor league rehab assignment, allowing one run and two hits in two innings pitched. Stephenson also made one appearance with Triple-A Salt Lake, allowing one run over one inning.

The right-hander missed the entire 2024 season — his first with the Angels — but was coming off a standout performance the year prior.

In 2023, Stephenson produced a 3.10 ERA where he had 77 strikeouts over 52.1 innings between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays. That offseason, Stephenson signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Angels.

Stephenson's rehab assignment expires on June 12, but manager Ron Washington previously admitted that the right-hander may not need that long.

“That’s gonna depend on his progress,” Washington said. “That’s gonna depend on his recovery. That’s gonna depend on the workload he takes on. At some point, if we think that Stephenson is ready, we’re not going to hold him accountable for those days. Right now we’re going to take it a day at a time and see how he recovers, see what he does, and make our judgement from there.”

It appears Stephenson's recovery has gone smoothly so Angels fans shouldn't be surprised to see the right-hander pitching in relief soon.

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