Angels Taylor Ward Hit In The Face By Pitch, Carted Off Field

There was a scary moment between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels when a pitch drilled outfielder Taylor Ward in the face.

In the top of the 5th inning, Ward stepped to the plate with the bases loaded against Toronto righty Alek Manoah. Manoah wound up and winged a 92mph sinker with an 0-2 count, only it went high and inside and hit Ward.

Fortunately, medical personnel got to Ward soon, but that's nasty.

It wasn't exactly pleasant for Manoah either. You could see him with his arms on top of his head after the pitch.

After a few minutes, a cart was brought out onto the field and Ward was helped to his feet. He seemed to be able to walk under his own power. He was taken off the field with a towel still clutched to his face.

The Associated Press reported that Ward's eye had been swollen shut.

After the game — which the Blue Jays won 6-1 — Manoah talked about how he was feeling in the moment,

“That’s probably the worst feeling ever,” Manoah said after the game. “Definitely want to pray for him and his family. That’s the last thing you want to do, no matter the situation, no matter the team, no matter anything. I feel really bad about it. I’ll definitely be looking to see how he’s doing.”

Los Angeles Manager Phil Nevin said he planned on visiting the 29-year-old after the game. He also said Ward would undergo further testing.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle

Written by
Matt is a University of Central Florida graduate and a long-suffering Philadelphia Flyers fan living in Orlando, Florida. He can usually be heard playing guitar, shoe-horning obscure quotes from The Simpsons into conversations, or giving dissertations to captive audiences on why Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.