43 Garrett Richards SP

Richards (3-0) allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking one and striking out 11 across six innings to earn the win Saturday against the Giants.

Richards' ability to record 11 strikeouts suggests that he was able to work through the Giants' lineup with ease, but that wasn't the case as they fouled off 22 of his pitches as opposed to swinging and missing on only 12 occasions. While it still took him 104 pitches to work six innings, he was able to hit that threshold for the first time this season and it wasn't a coincidence that this start was also the first time he walked fewer than three batters in a start. If Richards can limit his walks, he is capable of posting this type of stat-line consistently.

Richards (2-0) allowed one earned run on one hit while walking three and striking out five across five innings to earn the win Saturday against the Royals.

Richards had mixed success in his outing prior to being pulled after five innings and just 73 pitches. The early hook likely had to do with the fact that he had three wild pitches in the fifth inning alone, but there is no indication that he suffered an injury. Richards has now had similar results in all four of his starts this season, flashing his ability to get strikeouts while also struggling with command. That has held him back, but if it improves as the season wears on he should be able to pitch deeper into games.

Richards picked up a no-decision on Monday, giving up one earned run on four hits over 4.1 innings, striking out six and walking five as the Angels topped the Rangers 8-3.

It was an erratic showing for the 29-year-old righty despite allowing just one earned run, as Richards needed 94 pitches to get through his 4.1 innings before exiting the contest. He has 19 strikeouts through his first three starts but his 12 walks in that timeframe are a concerning trend and he'll need to cut down on that number in order to starting whittling away at the 1.60 WHIP that's currently putting a dent in his fantasy value. He'll look to do so in his next start on the road against the Royals on Saturday.

Richards (1-0) got the win, allowing two earned runs on one hit, walking four and striking out nine over 5.2 innings in a 13-2 blowout victory for the Angels over the Indians on Wednesday.

A two-run home run surrendered to Jose Ramirez was the lone blemish on a solid outing for Richards, as that long ball was actually the only hit he gave up on the evening. Richards has a 3.56 ERA in his 100 career starts and he has the stuff to be a viable part of a fantasy staff. it will just be a matter of staying on the field in 2018, as the 29-year-old has thrown just 64.1 innings over the past two seasons due to an assortment of injuries.

Richards pitched five innings Thursday against the A's, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four.

This was a disappointing season debut for Richards, whose biggest problem has always been staying on the field rather than his skills. He was touched up for back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning by Khris Davis and Matt Olson, two prolific power hitters. Given his career HR/9 mark of .69, it's reasonable to write this poor performance off as simply a bad start. However, as velocity data becomes available, it will be important to monitor where Richards' velocity sits in an effort to determine if there are deeper problems relating to his arm health given his past history.