Angels Could Have A Real Closer Soon As Stephenson Nears Return
· Yahoo Sports
Finding a new closer is a high-priority item on the to-do list of Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, and the Angels got some qualified good news yesterday when right-hander Robert Stephenson faced hitters for the first time in spring training and hit 95 mph while getting swings and misses with his slider and cutter, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
The caveat is that Stephenson hasn’t done this in a real game yet. He’ll face hitters one more time before he gets into a Cactus League game, but he’s been dealing with elbow and forearm issues for the last two seasons, which makes this an important development.
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“It’s a huge step, obviously,” Stephenson said. “I don't know how many of these we're gonna do, but that's another step closer to getting in games. And I still feel like I'm perfectly on pace to be able to get enough games in and be ready for Opening Day, which is the No. 1 priority.”
That feels ambitious, especially since Stephenson tried this last May but made only two appearances before being diagnosed with a nerve issue in his biceps that took him out until late August. In late September, the Angels shut him down completely due to right elbow inflammation, according to Bollinger.
Stephenson also said he had issues and symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome, but he didn’t need surgery. He thinks his issues can be managed, and he’s now refining his pitches before his first appearance.
“I still feel like there's a little polishing to do,” Stephenson said. “Had a couple uncompetitive pitches, but overall, for the first time facing hitters, I'm pretty happy with how it went. Everything felt good, physically. So that's all I can ask for.”
Stephenson was dominant the last time he was healthy, posting a 2.35 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 38-1/3 innings with the Tampa Bay Rays down the stretch in 2023, Bollinger added. That led to a three-year, $33 million deal from the Angels that has yet to pay dividends on the mound.
Suzuki hasn’t commented on Stephenson’s return yet. He’s hedging his bets so far, saying that the Angels would love to have a primary closer, but he’;s also open to mixing and matching from options that include Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano and Ben Joyce until someone steps up.
The new manager is basically playing closer roulette right now, which will be a new experience for Angels fans given the reliability showed by Kenley Jansen last year, but Jansen is now a Detroit Tiger.
Joyce is basically on the same path as Stephenson, but he’s thrown only fastballs and changeups in his bullpens to date, so his return feels more problematic.
“I don’t know, but I don't want to put any limits on anything,” Joyce said. “I’d really love to give you all the answers and be able to tell you, but I don't know for sure.”