Garrett Richards opted for stem cell treatment before undergoing Tommy John surgery and the right-hander is back to throwing 98-mph fastballs without pain.

Richards had a tear that ran lengthwise along the middle of his UCL, a rare injury as opposed to the standard tear across the ligament.

"I feel as good as I ever have throwing a baseball," Richards said.

While clinical studies have shown great success with those who use orthobiologics, they are not yet a guaranteed remedy for elbow injuries in baseball.

"I truly think this kind of treatment has significant potential," said Dr. Neal ElAttrache. "There's no question biologics are here to stay and biologic manipulation is the frontier of treatment in what we're doing. The problem, as I see it, is that the marketing and clinical use has far exceeded the science behind it."