Stephens is a totally different coversation than Eloy and Kopech.
Sure, get him up as soon as Shields is gone, or let him replace Covey after another shitty start. Absolute best case scenario, you're getting a mid rotation starter out of Stephens. He doesn't have elite, one of best pitchers in baseball type stuff like Kopech does, and therefore, the calculus and decision making is and should be different.