The Problem Roster Targets Staff Stats Roadmap Blog
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

Late 2025 Was Excellent. TOS Does Not Just Disappear.

Robert Stephenson's late-2025 stretch with the Angels was genuinely excellent — a 2.70 ERA across 12 outings, swing-and-miss stuff, and 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?

Thoracic outlet syndrome is a serious vascular condition that affects blood flow to the arm and hand. It does not resolve between seasons the way a muscle strain might — it is structural, it can recur, and it requires ongoing management. He threw a bullpen session on Feb 22 in camp, which is an encouraging early sign. But it is one bullpen session.

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.

The talent justifies a roster spot and a role in high-leverage situations when he is right. The history demands contingency planning every time he takes the mound. That is the honest balance — not pessimism, not blind optimism, just accurate accounting of what thoracic outlet syndrome means for a pitcher's durability.