Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was hit in the face by a pitch in Saturday’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays, which caused him to suffer multiple facial fractures, and the team placed him on the 60-day injured list, putting him on a long recovery timeline.
Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah let a 91-mph fastball get away from him, resulting in Ward being hit in the head. He stayed down on the ground while being attended to by medical personnel before he was carted off the field.
Ward had been one of the Angels hottest hitters in recent weeks, and unfortunately his season will be cut short. While it was a scary situation, there was some good news after the game as updates on the 29-year-old were positive, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
Manager Phil Nevin said all the tests on the Angels outfielder showed that there was no damage to his eye.
“It’s the best possible news we could get after what happened,” Nevin said Sunday, adding that Ward was in “good spirits” when he saw him on Saturday night, at the hospital and later at the hotel after he was released.
The belief is that Ward will likely miss the remainder of the season, but he was able to talk with some other players who had experienced similar injuries that helped settle his mind a bit:
Nevin also said that Ward was contacted by several players around the majors, including some who had suffered similar injuries.
“I think that gave Taylor some peace of mind that he will be back and be as good as he was,” Nevin said.
Manoah was visibly uneasy following the pitch, and amidst a tough season already, he made sure to connect with Ward to offer his best wishes:
“Alek feels terrible,” Nevin said. “You saw his reaction on the mound. Certainly, there was never a moment where we’re thinking he’s trying to hit him at all. That’s not what happened. You feel for someone like that on both ends. You know, it’s tough to go through. It’s a complete accident. We know that there’s no ill will, but he reached out. He wanted to talk to Taylor.”
Ward has posted a .756 on-base plus slugging this season with 14 home runs, 47 RBI and 60 runs scored. Since the All-Star break, he was on a blistering run with a 1.115 OPS in 14 games.
Brandon Drury targeting return to Angels on Thursday
Brandon Drury has been out of action since June 29 with a shoulder injury, and in addition to Gio Urshela, Anthony Rendon, and Zach Neto, the number of Angels infielders who’ve been out has been tough to navigate.
In his 106 plate appearances in June before hitting the injured list, Drury made a case for himself on the All-Star roster, posting a 149 wRC+ with five home runs and 18 RBI.
But all signs have been positive, taking a number of steps ahead, putting his timeline to return this week.
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