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Former Blue Jays top prospect Khal Stephen set to undergo UCL surgery
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Photo credit: © Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Jul 5, 2026, 18:56 EDT
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A former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect is preparing for an extended absence away from the mound.
On Sunday, Cleveland Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti announced that right-hander Khal Stephen will undergo UCL surgery this week. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure, and the extent of the surgery won’t be known until the operation gets underway. 
Stephen was originally acquired by the Guardians on July 31, 2025, in exchange for right-hander Shane Bieber. At the time of the trade, Stephen was the Blue Jays’ No.5 ranked prospect and was just promoted to Double-A New Hampshire before joining the Guardians’ Double-A affiliate, the Akron RubberDucks. 
Through 12 outings with the RubberDucks this season, Stephen went 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The 23-year-old had punched out 49 batters across his 55 innings pitched and held opposing teams to a .250 average. 
After a great first two months, the first sign of concern for Stephen came during his first outing in June. Stephen turned in a pitching line of 4.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, before lasting only one inning during his most recent outing on June 7, due to being forced from the game due to right elbow soreness. 
Listed as the Guardians’ No.4 ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, Stephen’s timeline to return to the hill will likely be somewhere in the 12-14-month range, ensuring that he will likely be out until the end of the 2027 season. 
For his minor league career, Stephen has pitched in 34 games (33 starts) and holds a 12-4 record, a 2.85 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and has flashed the potential that could place him atop the Guardians’ rotation one day.
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