Trevor Stephen hasn't pitched for the Cleveland Guardians in two years, but the team would love to have a healthy version of him back in the mix.
Before Cade Smith entered the equation in 2024 and was setting up the Cleveland Guardians' closer in the eighth inning, that job belonged to Trevor Stephan, and the right-hander sure was effective in that role.
During the 2022 season, Stephan registered a 2.69 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and even notched three saves along the way.
Unfortunately, the last pitch he threw in a big-league game was on October 1, 2023. Stephan eventually went on to undergo Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Stephan rehabbed his way into pitching in 25 games (23.2 innings) of affiliate ball last season, but it didn’t go well. The right-hander got hit and struck, leading to an ugly 9.51 ERA across three levels.
Stephan primarily struggled to regain his velocity to its pre-procedure level. In his final full season, the righty averaged 94.9 mph on the fastball.
With all that said, the book isn’t completely closed on Stephan, especially as the Guardians search for more depth in the bullpen heading into next season.
Sep 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Trevor Stephan (37) reacts after giving up a three run triple to Minnesota Twins first baseman Donovan Solano (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesStephen Vogt recently talked about what the right-hander is and what impact he could have on Cleveland’s team in 2026.
“For Trevor, obviously, everybody's rehab is unique, and Trevor's surgery was very unique. So, I’d be interested to see where Trevor is when we get to spring training,” explained Cleveland’s skipper.
“I'm excited to watch him pitch. I've never seen him pitch, right? He's kind of been injured the whole time I've been here, so excited to see him with a full offseason, a normal offseason, getting back ready, and obviously, if Trevor Stephanan can pitch the way Trevor Stephan pitched before surgery, it would be a very welcome back.”
There are no guarantees that Stephan will return to his pre-surgery form. However, the Guardians would love to have his swing-and-miss stuff out of the bullpen next season. In 2023, Stephan had a whiff rate of 30.6 percent and a strikeout rate of 25.5 percent. Even in his struggles in the minors last season, he still had a punchout rate of 21.6 percent.
Seeing what shape Stephan is certainly something to watch heading into spring training.