Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Gets surgery, hits 60-day IL
Rotowire
Stephan underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. The Guardians placed him on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Though it's not clear if Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery or an internal bracing procedure on his elbow, he'll still be ticketed for a 12-to-16-month rehab and recovery. His move to the 60-day IL freed up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tyler Beede, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Slated for elbow surgery
Rotowire
Stephan will undergo surgery on his right elbow in the next week or two, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
The specific procedure and a timetable aren't yet known, but Bell relays that Stephan's UCL was "not providing adequate stability," necessitating the need for the operation. More information on a recovery timeline for Stephan should be known once he goes under the knife, but unless he gets an arthroscopic procedure, the veteran reliever could miss the entire 2024 season. He had been slated to serve in a setup role ahead of closer Emmanuel Clase but should now be considered out indefinitely.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Shut down with bruised elbow
Rotowire
Stephan will be shut down for three weeks with a deep bone bruise in his right elbow, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Stephan's elbow is structurally sound, but the Guardians will shelve the reliever for a while to let him recover from the bone bruise. Considering that Opening Day is just over four weeks away, Stephan undoubtedly will require a stay on the injured list. The 28-year-old has been a key setup man for Cleveland, posting a 3.73 ERA and 27.5 percent strikeout rate over the last three seasons.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Picks up win
Rotowire
Stephan (7-7) allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one over one inning to earn the win despite taking a blown save Thursday versus the Orioles.
Stephan allowed the Orioles to pull even in the top of the eighth inning, but the Guardians retook the lead in the bottom of the frame. It's been a rough September for the setup man -- he's allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over 7.1 innings across eight appearances. He has a 3.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 71:25 K:BB with two saves, 29 holds and eight blown saves through 65.2 innings overall.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Loses again Tuesday
Rotowire
Stephan (6-6) allowed five runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Tuesday versus the Twins.
Stephan allowed the Twins to assemble a rally in the eighth inning after he was initially brought in to keep things tied at 3-3. The right-hander has taken losses in back-to-back appearances, though Tuesday's disaster outing was the first time he'd given up multiple runs since July 16. It inflated his ERA to 3.54 with a 1.28 WHIP and 68:22 K:BB through 61 innings this season. He's picked up 25 holds and two saves, but Stephan's shakiness early in September could see him bumped aside in favor of Reynaldo Lopez, Matt Moore or Enyel De Los Santos for primary setup duties.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Handed fifth loss
Rotowire
Stephan (6-5) took the loss Sunday versus the Rays. He allowed a run on a hit and a walk while striking out two over one inning.
Stephan allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Taylor Walls in the eighth inning. It was just the third run he's allowed over 15 innings since the start of August. The right-hander is now at a 2.83 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 67:20 K:BB through 60.1 innings while adding two saves and 25 holds. While he'll still likely see plenty of setup work, the waiver additions of Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez could impact Stephan's usage over the last month of the season.
Stephan (6-4) struck out the side in a perfect inning to earn the extra-inning win over the Twins on Wednesday.
Stephan had a fairly stable performance through August, allowing just two runs while posting a 17:2 K:BB over 13 innings. He collected eight holds and one blown save during the month. The setup man has a 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 63:18 K:BB, two saves and 24 holds over 58.1 innings this year. He continues to frequently fill the eighth-inning role ahead of closer Emmanuel Clase.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Awarded win Friday
Rotowire
Stephan (5-4) struck out two over 1.2 perfect innings to earn the win Friday versus the Phillies.
With starter Gavin Williams going just four innings, the official scorer had the discretion to award Stephan the win for his work in the seventh and eighth frames. Stephan has pitched to a shaky 6.43 ERA in July, but he's at a solid 3.21 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 44:15 K:BB while adding two saves and 15 holds through 42 innings this season in a setup role.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Falls apart Sunday
Rotowire
Stephan (4-4) took the loss Sunday, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks over one-third of an inning versus the Rangers.
Stephan was responsible for the entirety of the Rangers' eighth-inning rally before Sam Hentges prevented it from getting worse. It's just the fourth time Stephan's allowed multiple runs in an outing this season, but three of those instances have come since the start of June. He's now at a 3.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 41:15 K:BB through 39.1 innings while collecting two saves, 14 holds and six blown saves through 42 appearances. Stephan's allowed too many baserunners all season, and it may be catching up to him in the second half.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Collects fourth win
Rotowire
Stephan (4-3) allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one over one inning to earn the win Tuesday over the Royals.
Stephan was briefly on the hook for the loss after giving up a run in the eighth inning, but the Guardians scored twice in the ninth to put him in line for the win. He's given up an unearned run in two straight outings, but it's been 9.2 innings since he surrendered an earned run. The setup man has a 2.12 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 39:11 K:BB with two saves, 12 holds and four blown saves over 34 innings this season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Handed extra-inning loss
Rotowire
Stephan (3-3) took the extra-inning loss Sunday versus the Brewers. He allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk while striking out two in one inning.
Stephan couldn't keep the game tied in the 10th inning, and the Guardians weren't able to catch up. Owen Miller supplied the RBI double to beat his former team. Stephan has still gone 8.2 innings without allowing an earned run since a three-run meltdown June 1. The setup man owns a 2.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 38:11 K:BB with two saves, 12 holds and four blown saves over 33 innings this season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Awarded win Thursday
Rotowire
Stephan (3-2) allowed a walk and struck out one over 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win Thursday over the Padres.
Starter Logan Allen was ineffective, and three relievers prior to Stephan combined to yield one run on five hits and two walks. The official scorer decided Stephan was the most effective reliever of the bunch, giving him his first win since May 6. The right-hander has a 5.2-inning scoreless streak with a 5:1 K:BB in that span. For the season, he's been steady with a 2.40 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB while adding two saves and 11 holds over 30 innings in a setup role.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Earns second save Saturday
Rotowire
Stephan allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Angels.
The Guardians were down 6-2 after the top of the eighth inning, so it wasn't looking like they'd need a closer Saturday. A six-run rally in the bottom of the eighth changed that, and then Stephan took the mound. He retired Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani with little trouble but put runners on second and third before Brandon Drury grounded out to end the game. That's a little more drama than usual for Stephan, who has been scored on in just four of his 18 appearances this season. He has a 1.62 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB with two saves, five holds and two blown saves through 16.2 innings.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Picks up win
Rotowire
Stephan (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the win Friday versus the Nationals.
Stephan pitched the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Guardians pulled ahead in the top of the eighth. The right-hander is already up to eight appearances this season and has been quite effective, allowing just one run, six hits and three walks over eight innings. He's also picked up a save and a blown save. Stephan should continue to be one of the setup options ahead of closer Emmanuel Clase.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Earns save in extra innings
Rotowire
Stephan picked up the save Sunday against Seattle with a perfect ninth inning.
Stephan picked up 20 holds over 66 appearances last season while posting a 2.69 ERA, and he was called upon in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday to preserve a one-run lead. While it was encouraging to see the righty earn the save, he's unlikely to see many save chances this year behind Emmanuel Clase, who picked up the save against Seattle on Saturday.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Reaches extension with Cleveland
Rotowire
Stephan signed a four-year contract extension with the Guardians on Wednesday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Robert Murray of FanSided.com says the deal is worth $10 million, with a $7.25 million club option for 2027 and $7.5 million club option for 2028. The signing locks down a key piece of Cleveland's bullpen for another four seasons. Stephan logged a 2.69 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 82 strikeouts through 63.2 innings last season, alongside three saves and 20 holds. He remains unlikely to get many save opportunities in 2023 behind Emmanuel Clase, but the 27-year-old reliever figures to remain one of the Guardians' premier setup men.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Struggling in spring
Rotowire
Stephan has allowed five earned runs on three hits and four walks over 2.2 innings through three Cactus League appearances.
Stephan has had a bit of bad luck -- two of the three hits he's allowed have been home runs. He was excellent at suppressing the long ball in 2022, giving up just three of them over 63.2 innings after allowing 15 homers in 63.1 innings in 2021. The right-hander emerged as a setup man to Emmanuel Clase last season, so there's not much reason to be concerned about Stephan's performance in spring training, but he could move down the pecking order if he struggles to begin the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Locks down third save
Rotowire
Stephan issued three walks and struck out two to earn the save in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Rays.
Stephan loaded the bases with one out, but he struck out Ji-Man Choi and got Isaac Paredes to pop out to end the threat. Both closer Emmanuel Clase and top setup man James Karinchak had pitched in the previous two games, leaving Stephan with a rare save chance. This was only the fourth time in 64 appearances that Stephan had permitted multiple walks. He has a 2.74 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 81:18 K:BB while adding three saves, 19 holds and a 6-5 record through 62.1 innings.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Adds sixth win
Rotowire
Stephan (6-4) struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the win Friday over the Twins.
Stephan was sharp in the eighth inning of a tied game, and the Guardians went ahead in their half of the frame. It's his second win in as many appearances, and it extended his scoreless streak to 5.1 innings. The right-hander owns a 2.34 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 74:14 K:BB with two saves and 17 holds through 57.2 innings across 58 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Trevor Stephan: Collects fifth win
Rotowire
Stephan (5-4) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning to earn the win Wednesday over the Angels.
Stephan pitched the top of the eighth inning and then ended up in line for the win when Jose Ramirez put the Guardians ahead in the bottom half of the frame. Over his last five outings, Stephan has racked up 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four and earning four holds and a win. The right-hander continues to operate mainly as a setup man with 17 holds in 57 appearances this year. He's added a sharp 2.38 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP, 72:14 K:BB, two saves and two blown saves through 56.2 innings.
