ANAHEIM, Calif. — Angels reliever Robert Stephenson, who was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an elbow injury last week, confirmed he will undergo Tommy John surgery later this month.

The 31-year old RHP signed a 3-year, $33 million deal with the Angels in January, the club’s biggest signing this past offseason. Stephenson entered Spring Training with discomfort in his throwing shoulder and had just started a rehab assignment with Salt Lake when the injury occurred against the first batter he faced.

”Warming up, I felt perfectly fine. Everything felt good and then I got out there and it was the second pitch I threw, it was a slider and it just came out weird,” Stephenson said about his injury. “I kind of felt it right when I threw it.” 

Stephenson said he tried to battle through the pain, but he knew something was off. 

“I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it ended up being, to be honest. But I knew it wasn’t right, immediately,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson says the plan is to have Tommy John surgery on April 30, with full reconstruction of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, or UCL, with a brace, he added.

”I feel like my season finished before it even got started. I hate that I didn’t even get to throw a pitch for the Angels this year.”

Angels reliever Robert Stephenson

”It sucks, obviously,” Stephenson said. “I felt like I was on the right track to be back soon and then something like that happens.”

The projected timetable for a return to the mound is 12-18 months, according to Stephenson.

Stephenson’s contract has a conditional $2.5 million team option for 2027 if damage is sustained to an elbow ligament that requires 130 consecutive days on the IL, meaning the Angels will have the option to keep Stephenson on the roster for another season than originally planned.

”I feel like my season finished before it even got started. I hate that I didn’t even get to throw a pitch for the Angels this year.”