The Angels defeated the Astros 3-0 on Sunday to win the series, but the biggest takeaway from the game was Taylor Ward getting carted off after crashing into the metal outfield wall.
“Angels left fielder Taylor Ward hit the left-field scoreboard hard chasing a hit by Ramón Urías, it appeared face-first. Ward immediately waved for a trainer and is being tended to in the outfield. A trainer is holding a towel to his head and a cart is there to drive him off,” Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara wrote.
It was a frightening collision that saw Ward immediately head to the bullpen area, where his teammates gave him towels to absorb the blood gushing from his face.
“Ward was sprinting to catch a double hit by Ramón Urías when he ran into the wall and was knocked to the ground. He quickly got up but immediately signaled for help. Someone came out of the bullpen and handed him a towel, which he pressed to his face,” ESPN wrote.
Just the day before, Ward and teammate Jo Adell had discussed the dangers of the left field wall. After the game on Sunday, Adell called on MLB to make a change while responding to questions about Ward’s injury.
“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s being aggressive on a play. At the bottom line, and I’ve talked about this before, but there should be no out of town metal scoreboard anywhere on the baseball field. It’s the big leagues. This shit is ridiculous. A guy goes back to make a play, and he’s got to worry about a metal fence. That’s crazy. So that’s my honest opinion about it. He did everything he could to make a play, and he gets beat up by something that’s beyond controllable,” Adell said.
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This unfortunate incident highlights that player safety must come first. It should serve as a clear signal for MLB to make changes at the Astros’ stadium. The severity of Ward’s injury is still unknown as he undergoes further testing. Regardless of the outcome, the league must address this hazard.
