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55
Los Angeles Angels · Relief Pitcher

Robert
Stephenson

RP · #55 Age 31 · Throws R · Bats R · 6'3" 200 lbs High Risk, High Reward
ST ERA
2026 Spring
ST IP
2026 Spring
ST WHIP
2026 Spring
2.70
late-25 ERA
12 outings
TOS
history
Serious flag
C+
Grade
TOS Won't
Just Go Away
🌵 2026 Spring Training — Updated Nightly
Apps
IP
ERA
WHIP
K
BB
SV
W-L
Career Statistics
YearTeamGIPERAKBBWHIPK/9
2022COL/PIT5861.23.5075281.4011.0
2023TB6063.13.2771291.1510.1
2024TB/LAA4139.04.3843241.729.9
2025 (late)LAA1212.02.701451.0810.5
2026 STLAA

TOS Symptoms Again This Offseason. Still Targeting Opening Day. Still Fragile.

Robert Stephenson's late-2025 stretch with the Angels was genuinely excellent — a 2.70 ERA across 12 outings, swing-and-miss stuff, the kind of performance that makes a manager want to use him in high-leverage situations. The arm talent is real. The question is always the same one with Stephenson: how long can it last?

He dealt with nerve issues and thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms again this offseason. He said he feels good now, that he is back to throwing, and that he will be ready for Opening Day — though he acknowledged he is about a week behind the other pitchers coming out of camp. That is the familiar Stephenson pattern: encouragement followed by a qualifier, a qualifier followed by more encouragement. He has thrown 12 games over the last two seasons combined. That number needs to improve dramatically for him to be anything other than a depth option.

He cannot be the bullpen plan — but if healthy, he is a legitimate high-leverage weapon. The distinction matters. Building the late-inning strategy around Stephenson's availability assumes health that his medical history cannot guarantee. Use him when available, have a plan for when he is not.

Thoracic outlet syndrome is a structural condition. It does not resolve between seasons the way a muscle strain might — it can recur, it requires ongoing management, and it has now surfaced in back-to-back offseasons. The talent justifies keeping him on the roster. The history demands that Suzuki never counts on him being available tomorrow.