Angels' Garrett Richards Has Damage to His UCL, May Need Surgery
Angels pitcher Garrett Richards had an MRI on his right elbow Wednesday which revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, the team announced.
He was presented with surgical options and conservative care to treat the injury, according to the Angels.
Richards left in the third inning of a 9-3 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday because of irritation in his right forearm. He has been plagued by injuries during his career and this was just his second start this season since coming off the disabled list after being sidelined by a left hamstring strain.
Seattle All-Star Mitch Haniger hit a three-run homer in the first for a 3-0 lead against Richards, who allowed three consecutive hits to begin the game. He exited in the third while pitching to Nelson Cruz. After a 92-mph pitch, a trainer and Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to the mound, and the righthander quickly walked off the field.
“Pregame warmups, in talking to [pitching coach Charles Nagy], he was a little erratic,” Scioscia said. “Velocity looked good and his slider was good. His command was a little off. I think you can see that after he got through the first inning, the second inning was OK, but the third inning the velocity dropped and the quickness wasn’t there.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
