Angels' High-Priced Free Agent Leaves Rehab Start

This doesn't seem ideal...

Robert Stephenson / Angels High-Priced Free Agent Leaves Rehab Start

The Angels were notoriously quiet over the offseason despite a free agent market that offered multiple impact players, such as Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and others.

If you were to point to one notable move, it would be the acquisition of reliever Robert Stephenson. One of the better relievers on the market, the Angels signed him to a three-year deal worth $33 million.

Stephenson reportedly experienced some sort of shoulder irritation this past February when ramping up to get ready for the start of the regular season. Being cautious and careful, the Angels had slow-played Stephenson, and he most recently was rehabbing in the minor leagues.

In his first appearance since injuring his shoulder in the first place, the reliever left the game after four pitches due to shoulder pain.

Manager Ron Washington explained the situation to reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register:

"We’re going to get him examined. I don’t have any more than that. The way he was throwing the baseball before he went on rehab was electric. You just wanted him in your bullpen. And then something like that happens. But until we know what it is, I’m not going to speculate."

Not good…#Angels RP Robert Stephenson issues a 4-pitch walk, then calls out the trainer, and leaves the game in his first rehab apprarance pic.twitter.com/Ws6hEEiLRC

— AngelsMiLB (@AngelsMiLB) April 14, 2024

It was positive to see Stephenson touching 98 miles per hour with one of those four pitches. However, the fact his shoulder is still bothering him isn't an ideal situation. There was no serious damage when an MRI was done months ago.

As the report indicates, Stephenson was supposed to come back and join the Angels after a couple of starts in AAA. This timetable clearly will be altered based on the rehab snag.

The Angels are off to a decent start, all things considered. After 15 games, the Halos (7-8) are in second place in the American League West, only 0.5 games behind division leader Texas Rangers.