The last time Taylor Ward played in a regular season game for the Los Angeles Angels, it was July, and he left on a cart after taking a pitch to the face.
He took a 92-mile-per-hour sinker that didn't sink and left him with three fractures: one to his orbital floor directly below his eye, one by his temple, and another by his jaw.
On Sunday afternoon, he opened up about the recovery that took about three months to resume baseball activity during an in-game interview with Bally Sports West.
"It took a while. The biggest thing was with my nose and just the way that my nose was kind of crushed a little bit. The Angels just wanted to make sure that I didn't adjust any of that. It's a slow and steady incline and they took care of me so I'm doing great right now and I'm really excited."
When Ward was cleared to resume training, he decided to approach it as if nothing happened. However, he added a c-flap to his helmet ahead of this season.
"I started back in my progression as if nothing happened. Just tee work, tee work, and then slowly building into b.p. and machines... Actually in my live at-bats the other day I got some up and in so it was good just to see that again and get out of the way. I'm all good right now and ready to move past it."
Taylor Ward via Bally Sports West
Through two games of Cactus League, Ward is 1-for-4 and is projected to start in the outfield for the Angels this season.
More must-reads: