Guardians' No. 4 prospect Stephen to undergo elbow surgery

HOUSTON -- The Guardians were hopeful that pitching prospect Khal Stephen could make an impact in the big leagues this season. Now, the 23-year-old is facing a lengthy absence.

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.

“We'll lean on Dr. Meister,” Harris said. “Our doctors have been in communication with him.”

This is a rough blow for Stephen and the Guardians, who acquired him from the Blue Jays before the July 31 Trade Deadline last year in a 1-for-1 deal that sent right-hander Shane Bieber to Toronto. Stephen came to the Guardians as an already polished pitching prospect, and they have been optimistic about his potential.

Toronto selected Stephen with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State. He logged a 2.53 ERA in 103 innings over 22 games (including 21 starts) last year, between Single-A, High-A and Double-A with the Blue Jays, and with Double-A Akron after the trade.

In 12 starts with the RubberDucks this season, Stephen has a 3.44 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, with 49 strikeouts and 23 walks over 55 innings.

“Obviously he's disappointed,” Harris said. “He's a good pitcher and we're excited about him, and we thought that he could help us this year. But we know that he's going to fight and work hard to help us in the future.”

Stephen exited his most recent start on June 7 after pitching just one scoreless inning, and the Guardians placed him on the 7-day Minor League injured list on June 10. Harris noted Stephen saw Cleveland’s team doctors immediately, but the club has been partnering with him, his agent and Meister in recent weeks.

The Guardians want to make sure everything is handled appropriately there, hence the methodical timeline.

“It's a team effort, and a surgery like that and a rehab like that is over a year,” Harris said. “Over that course of time, a week or so to get it right and make sure that we're heading this in the right direction is worth it.”

Stephen’s injury puts a dent into the Guardians’ organizational rotation depth. Cleveland is the only team in the Majors to use just five starting pitchers this season, a remarkable streak of health and durability. But any team will tell you it needs more than that.

“We're going to probably need 10 to 12 [starters] to successfully navigate the season,” Harris said.

The Guardians’ rotation features Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi, Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. Logan Allen (who made 29 starts in the Majors in 2025) is the first line of depth with Triple-A Columbus.

Beyond that, right-handers Austin Peterson and Yorman Gómez are also on the 40-man roster. Peterson has a 3.86 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 39 2/3 innings over nine starts with Columbus. The right-hander (who opened the season on the IL with a right triceps strain) struck out 12 batters over 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Gómez made his Columbus season debut on Saturday, when he allowed two runs on four hits over 3 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He had been on the IL with a right shoulder strain.

Valera sticking around
The Guardians announced Sunday that George Valera (whom they designated for assignment one week prior) has cleared waivers. He will rejoin Triple-A Columbus this week.

Cleveland DFA’d Valera amid a 40-man roster crunch, as it needed to open a spot after Gabriel Arias was activated off the 60-day injured list. Arias took the roster spot of José Ramírez, who went on the 10-day IL with a left hamate fracture.