Angels Provide Taylor Ward Update After Scary Face Injury in Win Over Astros

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Los Angeles Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery provided an injury update on left fielder Taylor Ward, who left Sunday's 3-0 win after a scary collision with the out-of-town scoreboard in Houston.
Ward ranged to his left on a fly ball in the bottom of the eighth inning, narrowly missing the ball and barreling into a metal section of the wall below the Crawford boxes face-first.
He fell to the floor after the incident before motioning to the bullpen in left field, causing reliever Andrew Chafin to come out and hold a towel to the outfielder's bleeding face. He left the game on a cart with towels covering his face.
Scary scene here in Houston.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 31, 2025
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
The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher revealed Ward and fellow outfielder Jo Adell had just discussed the safety of that section of the wall after Saturday's 4-1 win.
Montgomery revealed after the game Ward had a cut on his eye after the incident, and that Ward's eye seemed okay when the trainers went to check on him in the outfield. He went to the hospital after being carted off for further evaluation and stitches, per Fletcher.
The Angels will likely provide another update Monday.
Ray Montgomery said Ward’s eye seemed OK when they went out to see him. He has a cut above his eye. He went for some stitches and further evaluation.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 31, 2025
Ward previously suffered a facial injury in 2023 after being struck in the head with a fastball. He did not return for the remainder of that season.
More news: Angels' Taylor Ward Suffers Bloody Face Injury In Scary Scene at Daikin Park
Ward was 0-for-1 with three walks prior to his exit on Sunday. He has set career highs in both home runs (30) and RBIs (94) this season, both of which lead the team. His 117 OPS+ this season is the second highest in his career.
Whether or not Ward will land on the injured list is yet to be seen, however the Angels will likely give him Monday off, at the very least.
Niko Kavadas and Matthew Lugo are his most likely replacements if that is the case. The Angels will hope their star slugger can recover well from his injury, as he is a crucial part of the Angels outfield and has barely missed a game all season.
The Angels will wrap up their four-game series against the Astros on Monday at 11:10 a.m. PT, and are looking for their first series win over the AL West's leaders for the first time this season.
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Aaron Coloma is a contributing writer for On SI based in Los Angeles. A 2024 graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, he previously covered collegiate and high school sports for The Poly Post and Valley Sports Telegram, respectively.
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