Angels' Richards stretchered off vs. Red Sox after suffering serious left knee injury

The Los Angeles Angels' season may be in jeopardy after staff ace Garrett Richards appeared to suffer a serious leg injury while attempting to cover first base on a grounder Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

[Courtesy: NESN]

Richards appears to get his right cleat caught in the dirt, causing his left knee to buckle. The righty was writhing in pain and needed to be stretchered off after remaining down on the field for several minutes. The team has initially diagnosed Richards with a left knee/patellar injury.

The Angels' playoff chances would take a huge hit if Richards, who entered with a 13-4 record and 2.53 ERA, misses a significant amount of time. L.A. has already lost lefty Tyler Skaggs to season-ending Tommy John surgery, leaving the back end of the rotation thin. The minor-league options to replace Richards aren't very appealing.

The team should provide an update on Richards' status following the game.