Angels' Richards returns to action against A's

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Garrett Richards is scheduled to pitch in a major league regular-season game for the first time since May 1 when he takes the mound against the Athletics in Oakland on Wednesday night.

Richards was diagnosed with an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his right elbow last spring, five days after he was pulled in the fourth inning of a 9-6 victory at the Texas Rangers because of dehydration and cramping.

He threw 115 pitches or more in two other April outings.

Richards took the unusual step of bypassing Tommy John surgery and electing for stem-cell injections in the hopes they would regenerate the ligament in his elbow. He began a throwing program in August,…