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Angels Pitching In Shambles After Another Injury

Scott Miller -CBSSports.com

The repercussions from the Angels' nightmare series-opener Monday against Texas will ripple into Tuesday and beyond.

Rookie starter Garrett Richards was lifted after only 19 pitches with a groin injury -- right adductor strain in the groin area, to be specific -- and is expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday.

Because of that and the fact that the Angels chewed through four relievers in an 8-4 loss to the Rangers while falling five games back in the AL West, you might say the roster situation right now is fluid. "

We'll definitely get some more pitching in here tomorrow," manager Mike Scioscia said late Monday night. "We'll toss a few things around, evaluate things in the morning and get some arms here." The current favorite to replace Richards in the rotation -- short-term, at least -- is old favorite Joel Pineiro, who followed a serviceable weekend outing in Toronto with three scoreless innings Monday.

Scioscia singled out Monday's highlight as Pineiro's "sharp breaking ball." There wasn't much else. When your starter blows out just 19 pitches in against a team as loaded as the Rangers, it's fasten-your-seat-belts time.

 "Garrett tonight, his stuff looked great," Scioscia said. "It looked crisper than it did in New York. He had a tight slider.

"That's what's disappointing, not seeing that part of it play out." In his major league debut last week in Yankee Stadium, Richards was clobbered for six hits and six earned runs (and two home runs) in only five innings.

Despite his "tight slider", Richards was on the ropes against the Rangers when he went down. Ian Kinsler drilled a double to lead off the game, moved to third on catcher Bobby Wilson's throwing error and then scored on a ground ball.

Michael Young reached base on a two-out single, and then Richards was injured while delivering a 1 and 1 fastball to Nelson Cruz.

"I definitely felt comfortable tonight," Richards said. "I had my good stuff. It's unfortunate and disappointing to have an injury." Richards said he felt something in his groin on the previous pitch, another fastball to Cruz. "I told myself I'd give it one more pitch," he said. He did, and it was his final pitch.

The Angels now have lost five of their past six games, falling from 1 1/2 games behind Texas to five back in the past six days.

 Tuesday, they'll hand the ball to another rookie starter, Tyler Chatwood, as they attempt to keep Texas from running away with the division.

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