Forward Brent Richards was among four players released by the Portland Timbers on Monday.
The Camas High School and University of Washington alum did not play in the 2013 season because of a knee injury suffered early in training camp.
As a rookie in 2012, Richards appeared in six Major League Soccer games, starting two of them. He played a total of 201 minutes in MLS games.
The Timbers also declined the 2014 contract options for defenders David Horst and Ryan Miller and waived defender Dylan Tucker-Gangnes. All four of the released players were injured during the 2013 season.
The Timbers exercised 2014 contract options on nine players, and a dozen others are under contract, meaning the team has 21 players on its roster for next season.
Players whose options were picked up are midfielders Will Johnson, Michael Nanchoff, Rodney Wallace and Ben Zemanski, defenders Futty Danso, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Pa Modou Kah and Rauwshan McKenzie and goalkeeper Jake Gleeson.
Players already under contract are goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, defenders Michael Harrington, Jack Jewsbury, Alvas Powell and Mikael Silvestre, midfielders Kalif Alhassan, Diego Chara, Steven Evans, Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri and forwards Maximiliano Urruti and Jose Valencia.
“There are always difficult decisions to be made, based on salary cap and the direction of the club,” Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson said. “As we look to 2014, we have a solid core of players in place and, with that continuity, look forward to further shaping the roster ahead of the upcoming season.”
During a training session on Jan. 26, Richards injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He underwent surgery on Feb. 5. At the time, he was told he might be able to return in September. But he never returned to full training with the team.
Richards, 23, scored four goals in eight MLS Reserve League games in 2012. He also appeared in exhibition matches against Aston Villa and Valencia CF, and in a U.S. Open Cup match against Cal FC.
A 2008 Camas High graduate, Richards was the Washington high school Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior and a member of two Papermaker state championship teams.
At Washington, he was the Huskies top scorer in each of his four seasons.
In 2010, Richards won the Premier Development League MVP and rookie of the year awards, and was MVP of the PDL championship match as the Timbers’ under-23 team won all of its games.
