Who Will Replace Garrett Richards?

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan broke the news Friday morning that Angels ace Garrett Richards would require Tommy John surgery to repair damage to his UCL. An Angels rotation already thin due to injuries entered crisis mode, fans panicked, and the debate over whether or not the Angels should trade Mike Trout was reignited.

In addition to Richards, C.J. Wilson is on the 60-day DL with lingering tendinitis in his left shoulder, Andrew Heaney has UCL damage but is hoping to avoid going under the knife, and Tyler Skaggs is dealing with left bicep tendinitis which has set back his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery.

Richards is irreplaceable, obviously, but what options do the Angels have in the minors?

Matt Shoemaker was sent down to the minors three days ago, and he seems like a pretty likely bet to reprise his spot in the rotation despite his poor season. He will start tonight for Triple-A Salt Lake and could have been called up to make the start for the big club tonight on his normal rest, but Cory Rasmus will get the spot start. Rasmus is an intriguing option: he’s made spot starts for the Halos in years past, six in 2014 and one last season, and if he pitches well, manager Mike Scioscia will have to consider leaving him in the rotation.

Also in Triple-A is veteran righty Kyle Kendrick, who signed a minor league deal on April 24. He pitched for the Phillies for eight seasons before spending last season with the Rockies. He’s a back-of-the-rotation type guy, with a career ERA of 4.63 and a career FIP of 4.81. He’s started only three games for the Bees, so it’s impossible to make any real judgment about his readiness to help the big league team at this point, but for what it’s worth he’s 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA. His extensive major league experience is something that can’t be discounted.

Another option would be to call up no. 3 prospect Nate Smith, a lefthander who has pitched well at Triple-A Salt Lake this season. He’s 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA this season, and if you take out one bad start last week where he allowed eight runs, his ERA would be 1.99. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but he has good command, changes speeds well, and knows how to get guys out.

Regardless of who the Angels go with, they will be a significant step down in quality from Richards. The rotation is now in shambles, and the Angels’ poor offense won’t outscore anyone very often. It could turn out to be a very long season in Anaheim.