Angels' High-Paid Reliever Joins Long List of Injured Halos

The Halos can't catch a break early in spring.

The injury bug hasn't been kind to the Angels early in spring training.

Earlier this week, the Halos released their inaugural medical report, with six Angels already on the list.

While a few of those guys are making progress, a seventh Halo can now be added to the list.

On Wednesday, Angels manager Ron Washington revealed that the Halos' biggest free agent signing, right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson, is dealing with shoulder soreness. He's going to play catch on Wednesday to test things out.

Angels RHP Robert Stephenson has been down with some shoulder soreness. He is playing catch today.

Also, IF Michael Stefanic is back to baseball activity today.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 28, 2024

The Angels signed Stephenson to a three-year, $39 million deal this offseason, by far their biggest free agent signing.

He was one of the many bullpen pieces added, as the Halos look to improve upon a bullpen that had a 4.88 ERA, tied for fifth-worth in all of baseball.

Stephenson turned his career around after joining the Tampa Bay Rays midseason last year.

After sporting a 5.14 ERA in 18 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Stephenson had a 2.35 ERA in 42 appearances with the Rays.

He parlayed that into a very nice payday in free agency, and will look to anchor an Angels bullpen with a lot of new faces in 2024. First things first, though, he needs to get healthy.