Robert Stephenson ended his minor league rehab outing after 4 pitches yesterday, because the Angels right-hander known as for the crew coach after which left the mound. Supervisor Ron Washington instructed reporters (together with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that Stephenson can be present process exams, however didn’t provide every other particulars in regards to the scenario.
Shoulder irritation stored Stephenson from pitching throughout Spring Coaching, but after starting the season on the 15-day injured record, the reliever appeared to be making good progress in his restoration and was seeking to be a part of the Angels’ roster before April was over. Yesterday’s information appears to place that timeline in jeopardy, and the one hope now’s that Stephenson’s setback is much less ominous than it appeared. A dominant four-month stretch with the Rays final season turned Stephenson into one of many extra sought-after commodities within the free agent reduction market this previous winter, and the Angels landed the righty on a three-year, $33MM contract.
Extra from across the AL West….
- Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone seemingly appears headed for the 10-day IL after struggling a left AC joint sprain in at present’s sport. Within the second inning, Canzone collided with the wall whereas catching a Mike Tauchman fly ball, and needed to be faraway from the sport. Enjoying in his second MLB marketing campaign, Canzone has hit .219/.286/.531 over 35 plate appearances for Seattle, hitting three homers as a part of his early-season energy surge. Canzone and Dylan Moore have shared a left-field platoon, but when Canzone is out, Moore might get extra of a daily position, or the Mariners might have Luke Raley assume the lefty-swinging facet of the platoon.
- There was loads of concern for Framber Valdez’s well being when elbow soreness despatched the southpaw to the Astros’ 15-day injured record earlier this week, nevertheless it looks as if Valdez could have averted a significant issue. Valdez instructed MLB.com and different media at present that he goals to begin throwing once more on Tuesday, and doesn’t suppose he’ll want a minor league rehab task. “I really feel so much higher now than I did then, and I’ll proceed my routine as a starter,” Valdez mentioned. For sure, a return after the minimal 15 days can be a incredible final result for Valdez and the Astros, who’re already coping with a whole lot of accidents within the rotation.
- Justin Verlander is a type of different Astros arms on the shelf, but the longer term Corridor-of-Famer is on tempo to make his 2024 debut on Friday in a begin towards the Nationals. Verlander threw 77 pitches over 4 innings in his second and certain remaining Triple-A rehab begin yesterday. Some shoulder soreness delayed Verlander throughout Spring Coaching, so the 41-year-old was positioned on the 15-day IL to start the season as a way to give him extra time to ramp up and put together for his nineteenth massive league marketing campaign.
