Taylor Ward Injured After Crashing Into Astros’ Metal Scoreboard
It was a frightening scene in Houston on Sunday when Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward had to be carted off the field after a violent collision with the outfield wall. The play unfolded in the eighth inning of the Angels’ 3-0 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park. Ward, tracking a deep ball off the bat of Houston’s Ramón Urías, sprinted toward the warning track and turned just as the ball carried him into the left-field wall. Unfortunately, instead of just brushing the padding, he slammed head-first into the metal out-of-town scoreboard that sits low against the wall.
The impact was brutal. Ward immediately fell backward onto the dirt, and blood was seen pouring from a cut above his eye. Though he managed to get back on his feet and signal for help, the seriousness of the injury was clear. Trainers and teammates rushed to his side, and towels were quickly pressed against his face before he was escorted off the field on a cart. Later, it was confirmed that he needed stitches but that his eye itself seemed to be unharmed. He was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
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Interim manager Ray Montgomery described it simply: “He hit the wall pretty good. He’s got a cut above his eye.” While the team was relieved his condition wasn’t worse, there was an immediate outcry about the safety of that section of the ballpark.
Ward’s teammate Jo Adell, who himself had once suffered an injury from the same scoreboard wall in 2021, did not hold back in his frustration. After the game, he criticized the stadium design, saying that no outfield in Major League Baseball should have a metal scoreboard so close to play. He called it “ridiculous” and argued that players should not be forced to worry about dangerous structures when trying to make routine plays. “He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do, being aggressive on a play,” Adell said. “But instead of just focusing on the ball, he has to worry about a metal fence. That’s crazy.”
This incident has reignited the conversation about field safety and whether certain ballpark features should be modified to protect players. While outfield walls vary across MLB parks, having a low metal scoreboard so close to live play is unusual, and Sunday’s collision only highlighted the risks it creates.
For Ward, the injury came during what has been one of his best seasons statistically. He has posted a .228 batting average with a career-high 30 home runs and 94 RBIs in his eighth year with the Angels. His performance has been one of the few bright spots in a tough season for Los Angeles, which sits fourth in the AL West and well outside the playoff race.
The Angels will finish their series with the Astros on Monday, but the larger question remains: how soon will Ward be able to return, and will Major League Baseball or the Astros take a closer look at redesigning that scoreboard area before another player gets hurt?
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