Angels ace Garrett Richards tossed a simulated inning against live hitters on Wednesday, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The injured Halos ace reported that he felt good while warming up and while on the mound, where he threw 20 pitches, including fastballs, curveballs and sliders. Richards was diagnosed with a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament back in May but has been undergoing stem cell treatment in hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery, knowing that if he’d simply undergone TJ back in May, he’d have been a long shot to contribute much in 2017 anyhow. If he’s able to successfully avoid the procedure via the stem cell treatments, then Richards could conceivably contribute to the Halos for much, if not all of the 2017 campaign. Per Fletcher, he’ll head to the instructional league and make three appearances there, building up to 50 pitches before followup testing to determine whether he can have a normal offseason and be expected to pitch next year.
More from the AL West…
- Wednesday likely marked Doug Fister’s last start as a member of the Astros, writes Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, noting that the impending free agent’s September was a dreadful month. Houston lost each of Fister’s final seven starts, Kaplan points out, and the righty surrendered 30 earned runs across 24 innings in his final month of the year (11.74 ERA). That’s hardly the note on which any pitcher wants to end a season, especially when things had been going fairly well for him for much of the season. Fister carried an ERA in the mid-3.00s throughout the entire summer but will conclude his 2016 campaign with a 4.64 ERA in 180 1/3 innings as he looks to improve upon the one-year, $7MM pact he signed with the ’Stros last winter.
- Rangers manager Jeff Banister said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM earlier today (Twitter link) that Shin-Soo Choo’s rehab has been “accelerated,” and the outfielder could join the club this weekend to get a look prior to determining postseason rosters. Choo has been sidelined since mid-August due to a fractured forearm sustained upon being hit by a pitch.
- Mariners rookie first baseman Dan Vogelbach has already begun seeking out the coaching staff to ask for extra lessons and extra work on his defense, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Vogelbach, considered a bat-first prospect and labeled by some scouting reports as a future designated hitter due to his defensive limitations, candidly acknowledged to Dutton that he’s aware of how much work he needs to on his glove. “It’s definitely something I’m taking seriously, because it’s something I need to improve,” said Vogelbach, who sought out bench coach Tim Bogar for advice on his positioning and footwork. “…I’ve been doing it the wrong way for so long that now I’m making the correct muscle memory. Getting it to be a natural habit.” Vogelbach indicated that he plans to spend the offseason working on improving with the glove and, as Dutton points out, doing so could very well line him up to be Seattle’s first baseman next season, as both Adam Lind and Dae-ho Lee are free agents.
Go get em Vogelbach!
That trade has me scratching my head unless they still plan on him being a DH. We have DJ Peterson who has the same bat pretty much but is better at D. I just don’t see him beating DJ out of the spot. Especially when they were talking about his short arms and how it helped him hit. It does the opposite playing 1st you want longer arms. Hopefully DJ is ready out of ST and we don’t have to see Lind again Lee I didn’t mind but no Lind. DJ at first, Cano at second, Marte at ss, and Seager at third, with Zunino and his continuously improving bat behind the dish. Marte just needs to stop trying to make the superstar plays and make the ones in front of him. Like the one in Houston when he tried to turn the double play, get the ball to Cano and let him turn it instead of you trying to make the amazing throw. We are out of the inning and don’t give up 6 runs probably win the game and are tied for a WC spot. He is young and that was avteachable moment. Now Dipott has to fix the OF a lot of work to do out there.
The biggest difference between Vogelbach and Peterson is their plate discipline. Peterson looked real bad in his brief stop in the PCL.
Peterson crushed the ball when he did hit it so I could see him being a 30 homeruns, .250 average, .300 obp, kind of like a less powerful Trumbo but better at defense.
He doesn’t necessarily need to beat him out, but having the ability to not be a liability in the field just opens up more opportunities if peterson gets hurt or needs an off day.
I really hope vbach gets a chance and succeeds.
Fister would be a nice buy low option for halos in offseason
Low option? Not to worry… The Angels will tender him a huge contract …
Despite the rough September, I would probably feel comfortable giving Fister a contract at around 1/8 than every other non-QO level starter.
Concerning Garret Richards and pitchers who are not opting for Tommy John, could there be other motivations besides avoiding surgery? Richards is arbitration eligible and if the Angels want to keep him they would have to go through arbitration for the next 2 years. He made $6.425M this year and the least he can make next year is 10% less than that, I think, could be off on the rule. If the Angels decide to tender Richards a contract and then he decides for surgery the Angels will be paying him no less than $5.7M to heal! If the Angels don’t tender Richards a contract he becomes a free agent and can sign for whatever he can get.
It makes sense for Richards not to get surgery immediately and receive other treatment. He can hold the Angels hostage, forcing them to pay for no production or just release him. If Richards gets released he can get the TJ surgery, sit out a year, come back by 2018 and if he’s healthy he can sign a long term contract rather than fulfilling his 2 arbitration years thus becoming a free agent sooner.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this issue discussed during the next CBA after this season.
This feels like a fairly cynical approach. Surgery is surgery; nobody wants to do it and TJ isn’t always successful. also, Richards got hurt doing his job; He’s not “holding the Angels hostage.” He’s injured precisely because he was doing the job he got paid to do and it’s not quite fair to just cut his pay for doing his job.
Angels Ace!? Lol
The last Ace I was aware the Angels had was Weaver in his prime….. GR an Ace? No wonder this organization is arguably the worst in the MLB.