Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards has worked tirelessly to overcome injuries in recent years. Now the 30-year-old will have to overcome the injury setback that all pitchers dread.
Richards, who left his start on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners with elbow discomfort, will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a damaged UCL.
Garrett Richards is going to have Tommy John surgery.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) July 12, 2018
It couldn’t come at a worse time for the 30-year-old and the Angels. Richards was set to be the Angels top chip to sell at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Richards was just a few months away from hitting free agency.
Instead, the right-handed pitcher will now have to miss the remainder of the 2018 season and is likely out for the entire 2019 season as well.
He may now need to take a two-year, incentive-based deal with a team and hope he can return to a rotation in 2020.