Report: TJ for Garrett Richards
A source tells Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan that Angels ace Garrett Richards has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will likely require Tommy John surgery. If that’s the case, then Richards will miss the rest of the 2016 season and a significant chunk of 2017. Passan’s story has more, including when the injury was discovered. Jon Morosi of MLB Network has also confirmed the news.
Richards, now in his age-28 season, has pitched to a 2.34 ERA and 2.27 K/BB ratio in six starts this year. Richards took a big step forward in 2014, when he logged a 2.61 ERA and struck out almost a batter per inning across 26 starts. However, his season was cut short by a serious knee injury he suffered in August of that year. Richards is under contract for $6.43 million this season. He’s eligible for free agency following the 2018 season.
Needless to say, the loss of Richards would leave a huge hole at the front of the Angels’ rotation. C.J. Wilson (shoulder) and Andrew Heaney (elbow) are presently sidelined with injuries, and the farm system is generally regarded as the worst in baseball. As of Friday morning, the SportsLine Projection Model gave the Angels just a 3.4 percent chance of making the postseason. Should Richards indeed be lost for the year, then that figure will drop even more.
The loss of Garrett Richards would be a major blow to the Angels. (USATSI)
