Angels ace Garrett Richards, who suffered a high-grade tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in early May, has opted to forgo ligament-replacement surgery — for now — in favor of stem-cell therapy in hopes of pitching again this season.
Richards underwent the procedure, in which stem cells are derived from bone or fat and injected into the injury site in hopes of repairing and regenerating the damaged ligament, on Monday. There is no guarantee the procedure will be successful, but doctors should know in six to eight weeks if it is.
"Garrett weighed all the evidence that was given to him through MRI exams, he researched the process, talked to people who have gone through the procedure and people who have not and came to this decision," Angels General Manager Billy Eppler said.