Angels outfielder Jo Adell blasted the field conditions at Daikin Park — home of the Astros — after one of his teammates was injured trying to make a play in the field.
Taylor Ward was playing left field for the Angels on Sunday when he attempted a catch on a ball hit in the eighth inning by Astros infielder Ramón Urías, which resulted in Ward crashing into a metal out-of-town scoreboard that sits in left field.
The sound of Ward connecting with the scoreboard was audible on the broadcast, and Ward immediately waved for a trainer to come out and check on him.
Relievers Andrew Chafin and Kenley Jansen came rushing out of the Angels bullpen with towels to put on Ward’s head and again signaled for a trainer.
After the game — a 3-0 win for Los Angeles — Adell tore into the stadium’s design.
“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s being aggressive on a play,” Adell said, according to the Orange County Register. “At the bottom line, and I’ve talked about this before, but there should be no out-of-town metal scoreboard anywhere on the baseball field. It’s the big leagues. This s–t is ridiculous. A guy goes back to make a play, and he’s got to worry about a metal fence. That’s crazy. So that’s my honest opinion about it. He did everything he could to make a play, and he gets beat up by something that’s beyond controllable.”
Interim manager Ray Montgomery said after the game that Ward was “maybe going to the hospital to get some stitches” and that he had suffered a cut above his eye.
Montgomery wasn’t sure if Ward had been looked at for a concussion and said that “the only saving grace” had been that he wasn’t bracing himself for the collision.
“It looked like something on the wall may have clipped his eye or cut his eye. I’m hoping he’s fine,” he said.