Garrett Richards

At 35 years old, Garrett Richards has this physical status:

Garrett Thomas Richards (born May 27, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He previously played for the Los Angeles Angels.

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Amateur career

Richards attended Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he was a four-year letterwinner. His best season came in 2005, when he pitched to an 8–5 loss-loss record (ERA) and 106 strikeouts. In 2005 and 2006, the team captured regional championships.

Richards was undrafted out of high school and played college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. He made nine saves in 2007, his fourth most in team history, in 2007. He played with the Cape Cod Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer. He made his first collegiate appearance in 2008. He spent the summer with the Alaska Baseball League's Mat-Su Miners. Richards, a full-time starter, steered the team in strikeouts (85) and victories (9).

Professional career

Richards was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the 42nd overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Angels and received a $802,800 signing bonus. He made his professional debut with Orem, going 3–1 with a 1.53 ERA and a 7.50 strikeout to walk ratio. He started with Single-A Cedar Rapids in 2010 and went 8–4 in 19 starts, winning a Midwest League All-Star pick. However, his walking score (34) increased in comparison to his strikeout figure (108). He was promoted to High-A Rancho Cucamonga in mid-season, going 4–1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts. He began with Double-Arkans, going 12–2 with a 3.06 ERA and three complete games in 21 starts, earning a Texas League All-Star pick.

Richards was called up on August 10, 2011 to fill Joel Pieiro's emptying position. Richards' debut in the major leagues was not as good as he lost to the New York Yankees, giving up 6 earned runs in 5 innings pitched. His ERA at the time was a respectable 10.80. He appeared in seven games, beginning three, and went 0–2 with a 5.79 ERA in 2011.

Richards, the Angels' Triple-A affiliate, was 5–2 on a 4.31 ERA, beating out 48 while walking 29 years old. He was called up by the Angels on June 5, 2012 to replace Jered Weaver, who had been on the 15-day disabled list and won his first major league game against the Seattle Mariners pitching seven strong innings, with only one earning run. Richards made 30 appearances (9 starts) in 2012, leading to a 4–3 record and a 4.69 ERA.

Richards made 47 appearances (17 starts) in 2013, with a 7–8 record and a 4.16 ERA.

Richards pitched an immaculate inning against the Houston Astros on June 4, 2014, knocking out Jon Singleton, Matt Dominguez, and Chris Carter in order on nine pitches. Richards was selected as a final vote candidate in the Chicago White Sox's second week in voting, with Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox finishing second. Richards pitched his first shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 4, 2014, conceding only five hits and no runs over nine innings.

Richards sustained a knee injury while trying to complete a double play at Fenway Park on August 20, 2014, against the Boston Red Sox. He had to be carried off the field. Richards suffered with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, causing him to miss his 2014 season. On August 22, he underwent surgery. Between six and nine months, the injury recovered. He made 26 appearances in 2014, finishing 13–4 with a 2.61 ERA, but threw a career-best 22 wild pitches.

Richards was activated from the disabled list on April 19, 2015, marking his first appearance of the season. He made 32 starts and led the MLB with wild pitches tossing, totaling 17 wild pitches. His record was 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA.

Richards' 2016 season was short lived as he made only 6 starts with a 1–3 record and a 2.34 ERA. Richards was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his pitching elbow on May 6, 2016. Richards will not be able to participate in baseball games for the remainder of the 2016 season due to his injury. Tommy John did not recover from Tommy John surgery, but opted for a newer biometrics surgery instead. Richards' 2017 was also cut short due to illness, with only appearing in six starts.

Richards left the game early against the Seattle Mariners on July 10, 2018 with "right forearm itch." The MRI revealed that he had a fractured ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow the next day. He underwent Tommy John surgery, putting an end to his 2018 season and delaying his availability for the following season. He finished the 2018 season with a record of 5–4 and a 3.66 ERA, while leading the American League with 15 wild pitches.

Richards announced on December 7, 2018, that he had signed a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres. On September 16, 2019, he appeared in his first game for the Padres. Richards debuted in three games with the 2019 Padres, beginning with a 0–1 record of 8.31 ERA. He started the 2020 season in the rotation but was moved to the bullpen at the end of the season, posting a 2–2 record in 14 games (10 starts) with a 4.03 ERA. During the playoffs, he made four appearances out of the bullpen, with two runs allowing two runs in 2+2/3 innings. Richards became a free agent on October 28, 2020.

Richards signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Boston Red Sox on February 3, 2021. He made his Red Sox debut on April 4, getting off to a rocky start against the Baltimore Orioles after losing six runs on seven hits in two innings. Richards hit his first MLB appearance on June 16, hitting an RBI double off Atlanta Braves starter Ian Anderson for his first MLB appearance. He was one of many pitchers to protest sudden rule changes regarding foreign substances in late June. On August 11, he was transferred to Boston's bullpen after compiling a 6–7 record in 22 starts with a 5.22 ERA. This move came just days before starter Chris Sale's return to action on August 14, his first appearance of the season on August 14. Richards made six relief appearances before August's finish, with just one allowing only one run in 10+13 innings. Richards made 40 appearances (22 starts) during the regular season, tying a 7-08 record with 4.87 ERA and three saves; he struck out 115 batters in 136+239 innings. In the Division Series, he made one postseason appearance, pitching 13 of an inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team declined to use Richards' $10 million trade for 2022, making him a free agent on November 7.

Richards signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers on March 20, 2022. Richards was selected for assignment on August 17. On August 23, he cleared waivers and became a free agent.

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