Elbow injury puts reliever Stephenson out for the season

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 today.

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 threeyear, $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.

Soriano's progress as starter is encouraging

José Soriano took another step along what the Angels hope is the path to being a frontline major league starter.

Long before the Angels' gutwrenching, 13-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays ended on Tuesday night, it was set up to be Soriano's first victory as a big league starter.

Soriano gave up one run and one hit in five innings, striking out six and walking five. He threw 90 pitches.

“I think he's coming along,” manager Ron Washington said on Wednesday. “I do understand he's recognizing now that to be a starting pitcher, it takes work. So that means not only work on the mound, but preparing to get on that mound.

“As a reliever, go out there and run five sprints and you're good to go. As a starter, you have to have everything in better shape to be able to throw 100 or 120 pitches. He's recognizing that. I think the next time he won't be as gassed.”

Washington paid a visit to Soriano with two outs in the fifth, after he issued a walk to the No. 9 hitter on his 79th pitch. Soriano then walked leadoff man Yandy Diaz before coming back to strike out Randy Arozarena to end his night.

Soriano has made two major league starts, both against the Rays. He gave up four runs in four innings the first time, and improved a week later.

“Facing a team the second time is tough,” General Manager Perry Minasian said. “To do what he did, only give up one hit after seeing these guys five days ago, that's pretty impressive. It tells you what kind of arm and arsenal he has.”

Soriano regularly hit 100 mph with his fastball. Combined with his slider and knuckle curve, Soriano has a repertoire the Angels wanted to see as a starter. One of the reasons they had him begin the year as a major league reliever, was to mange his innings. Now that Chase Silseth's injury forced Soriano into the rotation in April, the Angels might face a decision at some point on whether to slow down Soriano.

“We're going to deal with that when we get there,” Minasian said.

Also

Right-hander Andrew Wantz came out of his start on Tuesday at Triple-A because of “forearm soreness,” Minasian said. Although Minasian said “I think it's going to be fine,” they are nonetheless having Wantz examined . ... Infielder Brandon Drury, who has been slowed with hamstring tightness, was out of the lineup for a second straight day.