RADIO
When Garrett Richards tore his left patellar tendon in late-August on a fluky play covering first base, it was initially feared that the right-hander would miss at least the beginning of the 2015 season, if not more.
After being able to run with his full body weight earlier this week for the first time since the knee surgery, it appears Richards might not miss any regular season time after all. In fact, he’s been cleared for his first bullpen session on Monday.
"At first, I thought landing on my landing leg was going to be a problem and thought it was going to take a lot of getting used to," Richards told MLB.com last week. "But since I've been playing catch for the last few months, it's only progressively gotten easier. It's gotten more comfortable. Areas where I felt I was weak have become stronger.”
The 26-year-old experienced a sensational breakout campaign in 2014, as he was 13-4 in 26 starts with a 2.61 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He also posted a 164:51 K:BB ratio in his 168 2/3 innings of work prior to missing the rest of the season as a result of the scary injury in a start against the Boston Red Sox.
Richards will be relied on heavily to help the Angels get back into the playoffs. His absence, along with the injury to left-hander Tyler Skaggs, left Los Angeles with little depth in their starting rotation, which ultimately was their main undoing in their early playoff exit a season ago. The right-hander is slated to be the club’s No. 2 starter, behind longstanding ace Jered Weaver.
