Their relievers with the highest ceiling are the ones coming back from injury. Ben Joyce throws as hard as any pitcher in the MLB. It’s easy to imagine him as a potential closer if he can run his fastball to a staggering 100 mph. Joyce was allowed to perform five times last year before sustaining a shoulder injury. He underwent season-ending surgery in May.
The flame-throwing righty threw a bullpen session on the team’s first day of practice (link via Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register). It was his first work from a hill since the operation. Joyce and general manager Perry Minasian both said they are unsure if he will be ready on opening day. Nevertheless, it appears he’s making enough progress that if there is a season opener on the injured list, it won’t be an extended stint. “I’d rather him miss two weeks than six months. We’re going to take our time with guys who need it and see where it goes,” Minasian said.
If Joyce is not available, Robert Stephenson would be the presumptive favorite to close. Of course, that’s contingent on him being healthy — no small caveat considering the amount of time he’s missed over the past two seasons. Stephenson missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery during Spring Training. He was out of action until last May. The right wing veteran made one appearance, but left with a nerve problem in his biceps. He missed another three months, was active for about a month and then was shut down again for the final week of the season due to elbow inflammation.
Stephenson told Fletcher and other reporters Wednesday that he learned during the offseason that he had been experiencing symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. It appears that he did not receive a full-fledged TOS diagnosis, as he treated the problem with an injection plan, but without surgery. Stephenson admitted he is “a little bit behind everyone” coming into camp, but expressed confidence he will be available for opening day.
Considering Joyce and Stephenson both have health concerns, it’s no surprise that first-year skipper Kurt Suzuki is reluctant to name his neighbor. “I think the advantage for us is that we have options and we can be flexible. But in that ninth inning, I wouldn’t announce a name as our closer at this point,” Suzuki said this week (link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). Romano and Yates each have multiple 30-save seasons on their resumes. While the Angels don’t lack ninth-inning experience, both pitchers were working with less equipment and had raw numbers in 2025.
In another bullpen health update, Fletcher reports that the non-roster invitee Nick Sandlin underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery last October. The right back had finished the season with the Blue Jays on the injured list, but the surgery had not previously been reported. Toronto non-tendered Sandlin after injuries limited him to 19 appearances. He has a 3.19 ERA in 211 2/3 career innings and has a decent chance to spring his way onto the MLB roster. Sandlin tells Fletcher he will throw his first bullpen session this weekend, which will likely allow him to participate in Cactus League games if all goes smoothly.
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