Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward suffered a chilling injury on Sunday during a game against the Houston Astros. Ward, known for his tireless effort, collided head-on with the metal scoreboard in left field at Daikin Park while chasing a ball hit by Ramon Urias.
The impact was so strong that Ward fell to the ground and immediately touched his face, which was already covered in blood from a deep cut above his right eye. His teammate, reliever Andrew Chafin, ran to assist him and immediately applied a towel to contain the bleeding. Ward had to be taken off the field on a cart.
A blow that may keep him out for a while
The severity of the incident led to Ward being taken by ambulance for stitches, and the team’s interim manager, Ray Washington, confirmed that the player is being evaluated and it is unknown how long he will be out of action.
“The truth, and I’ve talked about this before, is that there shouldn’t be any metallic marker on the baseball field,” said Jo Adell, Ward’s teammate.
Security criticisms
This accident has reignited criticism about safety at MLB stadiums, especially the placement of metal structures in playing areas. Jo Adell added to the criticism.
“It’s the big leagues. This is ridiculous. A guy is going backwards to make a play and has to worry about a metal fence. That’s crazy,” Adell told the media.
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