Khal Stephen’s path to Cleveland’s rotation has hit a serious roadblock. The right-hander, acquired from Toronto last summer in the trade that sent Shane Bieber to the Blue Jays, has been dealing with right elbow soreness since being placed on the injured list June 10, and the situation now appears far more serious than initially expected. Tim Stebbins of MLB.com delivered the difficult update.
“Stephen, ranked as the Guardians’ No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is going to undergo right elbow surgery, Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said on Sunday. The full scope of the procedure is not yet clear, but Harris did not rule out the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which would likely sideline Stephen into 2028. Stephen went on the injured list with right elbow soreness on June 10. Harris said Dr. Keith Meister has already recommended surgery, and Stephen will meet with Meister on July 2, which will provide clarity on the next steps,” Stebbins wrote.
Stephen was originally a second round pick by Toronto out of Mississippi State in 2024 before Cleveland acquired him as part of the return for Bieber, a trade that reflected just how highly the organization valued his upside as a starting pitcher.
The Tommy John possibility looms as the most significant concern in Harris’ update. That procedure typically requires twelve to fourteen months of recovery, a timeline that would indeed push a return into the 2028 season if it comes to that.
Stephen had been working his way up Cleveland’s farm system since the trade, building a reputation as one of the more promising arms in an organization that has consistently produced pitching depth. His placement on the injured list in early June initially looked like a minor speed bump, the kind of soreness that sidelines a young arm for a few weeks before a return. This recent update changed that picture considerably.
The meeting with Dr. Keith Meister on July 2 will provide the organization and Stephen himself with a clearer picture of what comes next. Until then, Cleveland’s player development staff and fans alike will be left waiting on more details about a prospect who looked like a future rotation piece before this elbow issue surfaced, hoping the procedure ends up being less significant than the worst case outlined in Harris’ comments.
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