HOUSTON — Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was carted off the field and placed into an ambulance after leaving Sunday’s game against the Astros in the eighth inning after colliding with the out-of-town scoreboard on the left-field wall.
Ward was going back on a fly ball hit by Ramón Urías when he turned around and collided headfirst into the corner of the scoreboard. Ward immediately grabbed his head with one hand and waved to the bullpen with his other hand as he walked toward the Angels’ bullpen.
“He’s doing everything he’s supposed to be doing,” Angels outfielder Jo Adell said. “He’s grinding trying to make a play, and something as stupid as that puts him down. He’s got a gash on his forehead. We’re running over to see if he’s OK, and it’s like ‘What is he supposed to do? Not be aggressive on the play?’
“He’s supposed to go out there and do what he can to make a play. We were all shook up about it. I mean you could hear his head hit from everywhere in the stadium if you were even remotely close. It was unfortunate. He’ll be all right though.”
Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said Ward had a cut above his right eye.
“I think he’s getting re-evaluated and going to the hospital to get some stitches,” Montgomery said.
Members of the Angels’ bullpen ran onto the field and put a towel on Ward’s head as members of the Angels’ coaching staff and trainers from both teams ran to the warning track in left-center to attend to Ward.
“He didn’t do a whole lot of talking,” Adell said. “They were trying to keep the blood or the pad on his forehead. They were trying to keep it from blood getting everywhere and that type of situation, so he was trying to acclimate I think more than anything. I think he will be OK. We padded him. He seemed like he was OK and could move around pretty good.”
After several minutes, Ward was placed on a cart and driven off the field.
“This is going to sound weird, but the only saving grace was that he was relaxed when he hit it,” Montgomery said. “He didn’t brace himself, and it looked like something on the wall might have just clipped his eye or cut his eye. I’m hoping he’s fine.”
Ward entered the game batting .228 with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs. He was 0-for-1 with three walks before exiting.
