The Los Angeles Angels have an update on their top two starting pitchers. Garrett Richards continues to make progress from his knee surgery and Jered Weaver is feeling good shortly before he's scheduled to report to spring training.
Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training just over three weeks from now, but Richards won't be there. The 26-year-old is recovering from knee surgery after he suffered a torn patellar tendon during a start against the Boston Red Sox back in August. Doctors said his timetable for return would be between six and nine months, and the team remains optimistic he'll return soon.
According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, general manager Jerry Dipoto is "optimistic" about the right-hander's progress and is hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Day. If not Opening Day, it's expected Richards will be ready to go at some point in April, which would mean his recovery time would have taken about eight months. He's currently throwing five times a week at a distance of 125 to 150 feet, Dipoto also noted.
Richards had a career year in 2014 (his first as a full-time starter) and compiled a 13-4 record with a 2.61 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 164 strikeouts in 26 starts before he went down for the season.
As for their ace, Jered Weaver is entering his 10th MLB season and will weigh the most he ever has in his career. On Sunday night the right-hander weighed in at 224 pounds after he committed himself to getting bigger at one point last season when he weighed just 199 pounds.
"I've never been higher than 218," Weaver said, via Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. "I don't know if my metabolism is slowing down from getting older or what, but I feel good."
Weaver said he wanted to gain some strength to help him go deeper into games. He did pitch 213 1/3 innings last season, but he had an injury-shortened campaign in 2013 and tossed 188 2/3 innings (his lowest total at that point since 2008) in 2012. Weaver also had his worst season in terms of ERA (3.59) and WHIP (1.21) this past season since 2009. His offseason program consisted of heavy lifting, which replaced his previous offseason programs that focused resistance training.
"I just want to be stronger for the whole nine innings," Weaver said.
He's 32 years old, so it appears he wants to keep himself in shape heading into his latter years as a pitcher.
