Garrett Richards is carted off the field after injuring his leg while covering first against the Red Sox. (Getty)
Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, who was having one of the best seasons in baseball, suffered a gruesome knee injury Wednesday night in Boston.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Richards Injured His Knee While Covering First
The injury took place as Richards hustled to cover first base in the second inning on a ball hit by Brock Holt. He went down in obvious pain just shy of the bag.
The Angels were trying to turn a 3-6-1 double play after Holt hit a ground ball to first.
2. Richards Left the Game on a Stretcher
(Getty)
Richards was carted off on a stretcher. He motioned to the crowd as he was carted off, earning a loud ovation from the crowd at Fenway Park.
3. There Was No Collision
Richards being wheeled out. No collision. His knee buckled as he ran. pic.twitter.com/NYqpIuvNzL
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 21, 2014
Holt was sprinting toward the bag at the same time as Ricahrds, but as the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham notes, there was no collision. Richards’ leg simply buckled as he approached the bag.
5. Ricahrds Is Having a Career Year & Has Been One of the Best Pitchers in Baseball
Richards entered Wednesday’s game with a 13-4 record with an American League-best 2.54 ERA. He’s one of the reasons the Angels entered the game with the best record in baseball at 74-50, having caught the Oakland A’s from behind and taken over first place in the A.L. West for the first time since 2011.
5. The Angels Called it a ‘Knee/Patellar Injury’
Richards left tonight's game with a left knee/patellar injury. More info to come after he is fully examined #Angels
— Angels (@Angels) August 21, 2014
The Angels announced that Richards left the game with a “knee/patellar injury” and said they’d release more information once he’s fully examined. We’ll update this post once the team releases more info.