Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward has detailed the circumstances surrounding his injury and recovery plan after being hit in the face by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah on July 29 at Rogers Centre.
In an interview with Sam Blum of The Athletic, Ward said he suffered three fractures after being hit by the 92 m.p.h. pitch: one to his orbital floor directly below his eye, one by his temple and another by his jaw. He did not have a concussion and his eyesight has not been impacted.
Ward said he underwent season-ending surgery Aug. 5 with doctors inserting three plates. The third was needed, he said, because doctors discovered his skull was loose.
“Everyone’s story is different,” Ward said. “I feel like I’ve come to a reason why this happened. And I’m able to, at least standing right here — I hope when I step in the box as things move forward, (I’m able to) move past this.”
After the operation, Ward could not eat solid foods and could not breathe out of his nose because of four-inch splints in each nostril. He needs to wait three more weeks before he’s allowed to blow his nose.
Ward said doctors could not reconstruct his nose exactly how it was, so he has a “banana shape” curve.
“I think it’s kind of good for me to have that too,” said Ward, who is now back home in Arizona. “Not that I want to be reminded of what happened. But I think it is kind of a cool story. These things happen, and it’s OK with me.”
Ward said Manoah waited outside the training room and texted him after the incident. He said he holds no animosity.
Manoah, who has had a difficult season and is now off the major-league roster, was removed from the game immediately after the injury.
Manoah spoke to reporters about the incident in the immediate aftermath, saying, “Hopefully, he’s OK.”
“I don’t know how it will affect him,” Ward said. “Everyone is going to have a different way of getting past this. I hope he can, and I wish him the best moving forward.”
Ward said he will wear a new C-flap on his batting helmet when he returns.
“(I’ll) try to basically get as comfortable as I can and forget what happened,” said Ward. “Put that in the back of your mind, and let other thoughts take control.”
“I think of this as a badge of honour,” Ward continued. “Not something that’s going to be a detriment or something I’m always going to have in the back of my head. It’s just baseball.
“I am on that list now. I guess it’s kinda cool.”
