The way Angels right-hander Garrett Richards sees it, he is no longer recovering from an injury. His arm feels great. The ball feels good coming out of his hand. He is, for all intents and purposes, healthy.
“I’ve kind of felt that way for a while now,” Richards said.
Fearful he might require Tommy John surgery early this season, Richards underwent stem-cell therapy on his right elbow ligament in May, and there he was on Saturday in Tempe, pitching in an Angels intrasquad game during instructional league, his fastball hitting 96 mph, his arm feeling strong.
He represents the best-case scenario for the Diamondbacks and their right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, who underwent the same procedure last month.