The Los Angeles Angels are riding their hottest stretch of the 2025 season, and reinforcements may be arriving just in time to sustain their momentum. Among the most anticipated is right-hander Robert Stephenson, who is nearing the end of his rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2024.
Stephenson, 32, has yet to throw a pitch for the Angels since signing a three-year, $33 million contract in January 2024. The deal, which includes a $2.5 million club option for 2027, came after a stellar 2023 campaign split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays. During that season, he posted a 2.35 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 38.1 innings for the Rays, showcasing elite-level stuff that earned him a career-best 3.10 ERA and 140 ERA+ across 52.2 innings total.
Despite the promise, Stephenson’s 2024 debut was derailed during Spring Training, when the club announced he would require Tommy John surgery. Now, over a year later, he’s working his way back.
After making two appearances for Single-A Inland Empire — where he allowed one run on two hits over two innings — Stephenson was recently moved up to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he allowed one run in a single inning of work. His rehab assignment is set to expire on June 12, but manager Ron Washington made it clear that timeline remains flexible.
Robert Stephenson Nearing Return as Los Angeles Angels Bullpen Gets a Boost Amid Winning Streak
“That’s gonna depend on his progress,” Washington told reporters. “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.”
In addition to Stephenson, the Angels also reinstated right-hander Sam Bachman from the injured list and assigned him to Triple-A Salt Lake. The club is hopeful that the return of both righties can stabilize a bullpen that has seen heavy usage throughout the early part of the season.
According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Stephenson has progressed to throwing “up-down” bullpen sessions, a crucial rehab milestone in which a pitcher simulates throwing across multiple innings with rest breaks in between. That could be a sign he’s inching closer to a return before the mid-June deadline.
While Stephenson’s career 4.64 ERA across stints with the Reds, Rockies, Pirates, and Rays doesn’t scream dominance, his recent form and strikeout ability (career 2.55 SO/BB ratio, 1.337 WHIP) offer plenty of upside for a bullpen seeking high-leverage arms.
His potential return couldn’t come at a better time.
The Angels are red-hot, riding a seven-game win streak—tied for the longest in MLB—and have surged out of the AL West basement after back-to-back sweeps of the Dodgers and Athletics. With eight wins in their last ten games, they hold the best stretch in the division and are poised to close the gap on their rivals as they return home to host the Miami Marlins.
If Stephenson can recapture the form he showed in 2023, he could become a key piece in Los Angeles’ climb back into playoff contention. For now, the Angels will continue to monitor his progress, hoping their investment finally takes the mound in Anaheim this summer.