Angels place Garrett Richards on DL with biceps strain

Angels right-handed starter Garrett Richards is heading to the disabled list with a biceps strain, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Fletcher also tweeted that right-hander Mike Morin has been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to take Richards’ spot on the roster.

Richards, 28, had an MRI on his throwing arm on Friday, two days after experiencing “biceps cramping” in his start against the Athletics. Richards pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four on 76 pitches before having to exit the game. Los Angeles general manager Billy Eppler told reporters, including Maria Guardado of MLB.com, following the Angels’ 5-1 loss Thursday that they were having Richards do the MRI as a precaution.

Richards’ start against the A’s was his first one since last May after missing most of last season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, which Guardado said he chose to have “a stem-cell injection, rather than Tommy John surgery, to attempt to heal his damaged right elbow.”

Playing in his seventh year, Richards showed prior to his injury last year that he could be the Angels’ ace. In 2014, he went 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in 26 starts. He followed up that season by pitching over 200 innings for the first time while going 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA in 32 starts, then had a 2.34 ERA in six starts last year before being shut down for the season.