Los Angeles Angels: Garrett Richards Will Not Have Tommy John Surgery

By Eric Roseberry | May 18, 2016

May 1, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards (43) throws during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

The Los Angeles Angels may have finally gotten some good news on the injury front, as Garrett Richards is opting to forgo Tommy John surgery.

Yesterday Los Angeles Angels beat writer Alden Gonzalez reported that Garrett Richards has opted not to have Tommy John surgery. Earlier this month it was announced that Richards had a UCL tear, and it was assumed that he would miss the rest of the season due to surgery. However, as Gonzalez had earlier reported Richards was open to getting a second opinion.

Gonzalez also noted that Richards will be shut down for six weeks. Instead of surgery, Richards will receive “stem-cell therapy treatment on his elbow” according to Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors. It’s interesting to note that this is the same approach being taken by Angels starter Andrew Heaney. He was also diagnosed with UCL damage earlier this month.

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Given the state of the Angels this season, the decision is a bit surprising. Los Angeles finds itself in third place in the AL West with a 17-21 record, but they’re only 4.5 games out of first place. Losing Richards would be a major blow to the rotation, and it might end any thoughts they had of contention this season. It’s possible Richards might simply try and make it through this season before undergoing surgery in the off-season. If that’s the case he would still miss the 2017 season.

Richards will be eligible for arbitration for two more seasons. He’ll become a free agent in 2019, and how he recovers from this injury will have a major impact on what teams are willing to pay him. His first three seasons (2011-2014) in the majors he struggled bouncing between Los Angeles’ bullpen and starting rotation. In 2014 he was made a full time starter, and his performance quickly turned around.

Prior to getting injured Richards was having the best season of his young career. Through six starts he had 2.34 ERA, 3.27 FIP, and 164 ERA+. Part of what makes Richards so good, but also an injury risk, is the velocity on his fastball. According to Statcast his four-seam fastball averages 96 mph while his two-seam offering comes in at 95.9.

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Outside of Richards, Hector Santiago and Nick Tropeano have been the Angels most productive starters. However, on the whole the starting rotation has struggled this season. They collectively rank in the bottom ten of MLB in team ERA (4.75) and bottom five in FIP (4.92). They did recently acquire Jhoulys Chacin to help bolster the injury plagued staff. Clearly a healthy Richards is a top priority for Los Angeles if they want to stay in playoff contention this season.