Trevor Stephan, in case you don’t remember, is one of the best relievers on the Cleveland Guardians when healthy.
He boasts a combination of floor and ceiling that is matched by just a handful of arms in the bullpen.
The problem is that, for the better part of the last year, he has been unable to showcase his talents.
In late March, he went under the knife for the dreaded Tommy John surgery.
Now, however, he is back to pitching in minor league games as a tune-up for a future call-up.
He did struggle in his first rehab game on Tuesday, though, allowing a couple of runs in an inning of work.
“Cleveland Guardians RHP Trevor Stephan’s final line tonight making his first rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League. Line – 1.0(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 0BB 2SO,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Trevor Stephan's final line tonight making his first rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League.
Line – 1.0(IP) 3H 2R 2ER 0BB 2SO
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 11, 2025
Surrendering two runs against rookie-level hitters is never encouraging, but we are more than willing to give Stephan a pass because it was his first pro game in over a year.
He has been out since last March, and the way back from major surgery is full of obstacles.
Once he gets his feet under him and starts accumulating innings, the results will be there.
The first game is always about getting back the feel for pitching, not about stat lines.
Stephan should be a couple of weeks away from rejoining the Guardians’ bullpen, and they need him.
This is a guy who posted a 2.69 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 63.2 innings in 2022, for example.
He wasn’t completely healthy in 2023 and still managed to post a 4.06 ERA.
If the Guardians get the 2022 version of Stephan back, he would be a useful weapon for the late innings.
NEXT: MLB Analyst Discusses Recent Guardians' Struggles
