Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward's season ended on July 29 when he was hit in the face by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah. The incident gave Ward three fractures in his face/head, requiring surgery and lengthy recovery.

Though the pitch took away two months out of a prime season for Ward, he's trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation. He also wants Manoah to know that he has no ill will toward the right-hander whose struggles have been amplified throughout the 2023 season.

“I don’t know how it will affect him,” Ward said, via Sam Blum. “Everyone is going to have a different way of getting past this. I hope he can, and I wish him the best moving forward.”

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Hitting an opposing batter in the face with a pitch is the last thing Manoah needed this season. A year removed from being an American League Cy Young finalist, the 25-year-old has been a completely different pitcher for the Blue Jays in 2023.

He has a 5.87 ERA in 19 big league starts and has twice been demoted to the minor leagues by the Blue Jays. Manoah has not thrown a pitch in an organized professional baseball game since Aug. 10 and earlier this week was placed on the temporary inactive list.

Manoah was having a bad year before hitting Taylor Ward, but who knows how that impacted the former Blue Jays ace. Getting forgiveness from Ward should help Alek Manoah, but seeing the former get back in the batter's box would likely ease any sort of clouded thoughts Manoah has.