43 Garrett Richards SP

Richards (hamstring) played catch on the field Monday, Avery Yang of MLB.com reports.

The activity three days after Richards was moved to the disabled list offers optimism that he'll be in store for a short-term absence. Before the Angels determine if it's feasible for Richards to return during the upcoming weekend, he'll likely need to throw a bullpen session at the very least to prove his strained left hamstring is no longer an issue. The Angels will replace him in the rotation Tuesday against the Diamondbacks with Felix Pena, who will make his first major-league start.

Richards was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a left hamstring strain, retroactive to June 14.

The injury knocked Richards out of Wednesday's game after two innings, and he will be forced to miss at least one turn through the rotation after this move. Richards was slated to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the issue, but the team did not specify the grade of strain he's dealing with when it announced a series of transactions Friday afternoon. Given the slew of injuries they are dealing with, it's possible the Angels will have to reach down to the Double-A level for a starter next week.

Richards (hamstring) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Richards lasted just two innings in his start Wednesday against the Mariners, giving up two runs on four hits before departing with the strained left hamstring. The right-hander said he felt his hamstring act up in his previous outing, but it wasn't until Wednesday's outing that he felt the issue was serious enough to ask out of the contest. While the fact that Richards isn't dealing with an arm issue offers some encouragement, his velocity was still noticeably down against the Mariners, with his fastball sitting in the 93-to-94 mile-per-hour range instead of the usual 96-to-97 range. The examination Thursday should provide more information about the extent of Richards' setback and whether or not he'll be able to make his next scheduled turn Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Richards exited Wednesday's game against the Mariners with left hamstring tightness, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Richards had allowed two runs on four hits through two innings before exiting the game with the injury. The severity of the issue remains unclear, leaving his status for his next scheduled start up in the air. Richards will likely undergo further evaluation in the coming days.

Richards unofficially suffered a hamstring injury during Wednesday's start, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reports.

Any sort of non-throwing arm injury is a sigh of relief for an Angels' starter right now, though the team has yet to confirm this information or describe the severity of Richards' injury. The 30-year-old was taken out of Wednesday's outing at the end of the second inning after giving up two earned runs off four hits. Look for the club to add further information prior to the conclusion of the game.