Garrett Richards injury deals significant blow to Angels

If the Angels are going to compete for a playoff spot this season, they're going to have to do so without right-hander Garrett Richards. Yahoo's Jeff Passan first reported that Richards would need Tommy John surgery after a medical examination Thursday revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Richards' right elbow.

Richards has emerged as the ace of the Angels' staff over the last three seasons, barely missing a beat after recovering from a gruesome knee injury he suffered toward the end of the 2014 season, and appeared poised to continue his rise with a 2.34 ERA through his first six starts of 2016.

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Any team that loses a pitcher of Richards' caliber is going to be affected negatively in some way. Richards is probably Anaheim's second most important player after perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout and his absences leaves the Angels' rotation incredibly thin.

Hector Santiago was an All-Star last year and has a 3.62 ERA over the better part of three years as a starter, but he's more dependable than dominant.

After that? It gets ugly really quick.

Jered Weaver was among baseball's most reliable hurlers for a good chunk of the last decade, but began to show signs of slowing down last season. Never a hard-thrower, Weaver's fastball is down to 82 mph this season and his ERA up to 5.40.

Matt Shoemaker came out of nowhere in 2014 to finish second on the American League Rookie of the Year ballot. This year, his ERA is 9.15 over five starts and the Angels sent him down to Triple-A over the weekend with the plan to roll with four starters – Richards, Weaver, Shoemaker and Nick Tropeano – for the next two weeks.

Now that Richards is out, that plan is going to have to change and that's when things get a bit more complicated.

C.J. Wilson remains sidelined with a shoulder injury and isn't expected to be back until at least mid-June. Andrew Heaney may also need Tommy John and Tyler Skaggs is once again having arm issues. Veteran right-hander Kyle Kendrick is the next man up on the depth chart, while reliever Cory Rasmus made a few spot starts for Anaheim last season.

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Could Tim Lincecum, who's holding his much-awaited showcase Friday, be a realistic option? Tommy Milone was just placed on waivers by the Twins. They'll likely need to pick up at least another arm, even if only for Triple-A depth.

Whatever the short-term fix is, though, the long-term result remains the same: losing Richards is a blow the Angels couldn't afford. For as good as Trout is, and he's as good as it gets, Anaheim's offense as a whole is mediocre at best. With no Richards, the rotation is somehow a step below that. That doesn't give much reason optimism, even in a division as wide-open as the AL West.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr