Guardians reliever Trevor Stephan to undergo UCL reconstruction

The Cleveland Guardians' pitching depth has taken a hit, with a pair of right-handers expected to miss the 2024 season.

Reliever Trevor Stephan has been bothered by discomfort to his pitching elbow and bony edema. With the symptoms ongoing, it was determined by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister -- the latter the team physician of the Texas Rangers and an expert in Tommy John surgery -- that Stephan's ulnar collateral ligament wasn't "providing adequate stability," the team said in a news release.

"As a result of these opinions, Stephan will undergo UCL reconstruction in the next 7-to-14 days," the team said. "Our collective hope is that by addressing this issue surgically, he will be able to return to his prior level of performance and durability."

The team did not label the procedure as Tommy John surgery or announce a timetable for his return.

Also visiting ElAttrache was right-hander Daniel Espino, a top pitching prospect who underwent surgery Wednesday to address injuries to his shoulder capsule and rotator cuff. ElAttrache performed the procedure in Los Angeles.

Espino is not expected to pitch this season. He missed the 2023 season due to shoulder surgery and last pitched in 2022 at Double-A Akron, throwing in only four games.

Espino, 23, was the team's first-round draft pick in 2019, taken No. 24 overall.

Stephan, 28, was expected to be the set-up man this season for All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase. In three seasons in Cleveland, Stephan is 16-13 with a 3.73 ERA and six saves in 180 relief appearances. He has 232 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings.

In 2023, Stephan was 7-7 with a 4.06 ERA and two saves in 71 games.