Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward left Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros after a frightening collision with the outfield wall in the eighth inning at Daikin Park. The incident occurred while Ward was tracking a deep fly ball off the bat of Ramón Urías, who doubled to left field. Ward sprinted toward the warning track but slammed face-first into the metal out-of-town scoreboard in left field. The impact was so loud it could be heard across sections of the stadium, according to teammates.
Ward immediately grabbed his head, waved for assistance, and walked toward the Angels’ bullpen before relief pitcher Andrew Chafin pressed a towel against his face to stop the bleeding. Members of both teams’ medical staffs rushed to his aid as blood streamed from a cut above his right eye.
After several minutes of on-field treatment, Astros personnel carted Ward off and transported him by ambulance to a local hospital. Interim manager Ray Montgomery confirmed that Ward suffered a laceration above his right eye and required stitches, but stated that no damage to the eye itself was detected.
Scary scene here in Houston.
Hopefully Taylor Ward is OK.
(Just last night after the game, he and Jo Adell were talking about how dangerous it can be to hit that that out of town scoreboard wrong.) pic.twitter.com/P6yAzKLCtx
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 31, 2025
The injury brought back reminders of Ward’s previous misfortune. In July 2023, he was struck by a 92 mph fastball that fractured his nose, orbital bone, temple, and jaw, ending his season and requiring reconstructive surgery with three metal plates inserted. That incident sidelined him for months, including a period in which he could not eat solid food.
Ward has been one of the Angels’ most productive players this season. The 31-year-old entered Sunday batting .228 but with career highs in power production, including 30 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a .477 slugging percentage. His plate discipline has improved as well, with his walk rate climbing to 11.2% (79th percentile), while his 21% chase rate ranks in the 89th percentile across MLB. Defensively, Ward has been equally valuable, ranking in the 87th percentile in Outs Above Average.
Ward’s teammate, outfielder Jo Adell, ridiculed the scoreboard setup, noting that players should not have to worry about running into a metal structure while making a play at the highest level. Ward himself and Adell had even discussed the hazard the night before. Calls for additional padding or structural changes at Daikin Park have intensified in light of Sunday’s events.
On the field, the Angels were victorious 3–0 to take the weekend series. Jose Soriano threw seven innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts, while Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since being acquired from the New York Yankees. Mike Trout added an RBI double, and Kenley Jansen recorded his 25th save.
The Astros, meanwhile, managed just two hits, their fifth shutout loss of August and extending a slump in which they’ve scored two or fewer runs in 11 of their last 19 games.
