Angels reliever set to return after lengthy absence

The Angels announced they’ve reinstated reliever Robert Stephenson from the 60-day injured list. They optioned righty Chase Silseth in a corresponding move. Los Angeles already had a couple of openings on the 40-man roster after recently designating Connor Brogdon and Shaun Anderson for assignment.

Stephenson returns after losing almost three months to a biceps injury. He’d missed all of last season rehabbing from elbow surgery. That carried over into late May this year. Stephenson has spent a total of three days on the Angels’ active roster. He tossed a perfect inning with two strikeouts in his team debut on May 28. Two days later, the biceps injury knocked him out of action before he finished an at-bat.

The Halos signed Stephenson to a three-year, $33M free agent deal going into 2024. While the elbow injury wiped out the entire first season, it triggered a conditional $2.5M club option for 2027. Stephenson was dominant down the stretch two seasons back, striking out 43% of opponents with a 2.35 ERA in 42 appearances for the Rays. His arm hasn’t given him a chance to repeat that performance.

The Halos have dropped five games under .500 and are very likely going to miss the playoffs. They’ll hope Stephenson looks like his old self in the final five weeks of the regular season. That’d at least allow them to pencil him in as a high-leverage arm as they construct their 2026 bullpen.

Kenley Jansen is an impending free agent. Ben Joyce will be working back from shoulder surgery. Reid Detmers is a quality reliever but might get a chance to compete for a rotation spot next spring. Ryan Zeferjahn has strikeout stuff with wildly inconsistent command. Stephenson and Brock Burke may be the only locks for next year’s season-opening bullpen right now, and that’s obviously conditional on the former staying healthy after two injury-wrecked years.