On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
In an interview with Trent Rush on the Angels Recap podcast, outfielder Taylor Ward provided the most significant update on his health since he suffered a season-ending injury last July.
When he was hit in the face by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah on July 29, Ward suffered three different facial fractures. He said the left side of his nose was “pretty crushed.” Three plates were inserted to stabilize the fracture and the bridge of his nose was reconstructed.
Ward would not play again for the remainder of the season.
Since then, he told Rush, “things started to slowly return to normal. It’s definitely been a crazy transformation from when I got hit to where I’m at now. The doctor did a great job with what he did, to be able to repair everything that happened. I’m pretty thankful.”
By all accounts, Ward indicated he should be a full participant in spring training. He has been hitting in a cage since Nov. 15, running, and feels as though he had a normal offseason. His last checkup in Anaheim was last week.
“It’s definitely been a slow, steady incline from when I first showed up in Arizona to start working out again, and building back up. I’m honestly just thankful that I’m past that now. I put my helmet back on, getting in the box and feeling good. Just super happy and ready to go.”
Ward batted .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs in 97 games last season. A slow start to the season hurt his overall numbers, but there were signs Ward was turning it around prior to his injury.
In 20 games in July, Ward slashed .304/.424/.623 with nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (14).
The Angels signed veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks as insurance in January. However, it sounds as if Ward will have a full spring training to get his timing back up to major league speed and hopefully pick up where he left off.
More must-reads:
- Astros get pitching help just in the nick of time
- Aaron Boone's ejection vs. Astros isn't a good look for manager's future
- The 'MLB active hits leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Astros get pitching help just in the nick of time
While the Houston Astros have seen their American League West Division lead shrink to a half-game over the hard-charging Seattle Mariners, they have managed to do so with a makeshift pitching rotation. The Astros have had numerous starting pitchers, ranging from Lance McCullers Jr. to Luis Garcia, out of action with injuries. But the team revealed after beating the New York Yankees 7-1 on Sunday that another pitcher will return to the rotation. Cristian Javier, who has been out of action since last season, will get the start on Monday night when the Astros open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park in Houston, according to Leah Vann of Chron.com. While Javier's return gets highlighted, a couple of other players are going to be in the spotlight, too. Monday's game will be the first time that Carlos Correa has played in front of the Astros fan base since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins. Correa will play third base and be able to look out from the Astros' dugout and see a friendly face there for Boston. That's right. Alex Bregman, who played third base for the Astros previously, comes back to face the team. The Astros saw Bregman over a week ago when the Red Sox swept Houston in a three-game series at Fenway Park. Yet let's not bury Javier in this news. Javier has been out for 14 months since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's made some starts down at the Astros' Triple-A club in Sugar Land, Texas. Javier has been able to show off his array of pitches and record some solid outings. In his final rehab start for the Space Cowboys, Javier went 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run and two hits along with six strikeouts. Javier walked four in the outing. Based on this and his other rehab work, Astros manager Joe Espada put Javier in the Monday night opener. This will be Javier's first start for the Astros since May 21, 2024. After Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, who also just returned from the Injured List, and Hunter Brown round out the Astros' starting rotation for the Red Sox series. Javier has played a pivotal role in the Astros' success during his tenure with the team. He pitched six innings of a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros are hopeful that they can get other players, like slugger Yordan Alvarez, back on the 40-man roster soon. They are going to need all hands on deck to thwart the Mariners and stay atop the AL West. Javier's return is a solid step in the right direction.
Seahawks CB Riq Woolen turning heads, but can Seattle keep him?
After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
Green Bay Packers Veteran WR In Danger Of Being Cut After Poor Showing Against Jets
A veteran Green Bay Packers wide receiver didn’t leave a good impression on head coach Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff on Saturday when he took on his old team in front of 71,501 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Mecole Hardman, who has had flashes of being a strong contributor to the Packers during training camp, struggled in the Packers’ 30-10 loss to the New York Jets. The 2019 second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs dropped his only target of the night and made a poor decision as a punt returner on special teams before muffing a punt on his second punt return opportunity. The Green Bay Packers coaching staff has a decision to make Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggested that Hardman’s performance will prompt the Packers’ coaching staff to reevaluate the receiver depth chart. “Hardman, too, seemed penciled into the 53-man roster before Saturday night,” Schneidman wrote. “For a player who probably wasn’t slated to contribute much as a wide receiver come the regular season but still provided value because of his return experience, the preseason opener was a disaster. “Hardman fielded a punt on the fly at his 5-yard line (that’s a no-no) with a Jet and two Packers nearby and was tackled immediately for no gain by the Jets’ Qwan’tez Stiggers after he beat Packers rookie seventh-round cornerback Micah Robinson.” “I made two bad decisions, so that’s on me,” Hardman told reporters after the game. Hardman wasn’t the only Packers receiver to have issues against the Jets, as an issue from 2024, dropped passes, continued to plague the offense in their first preseason game of 2025. It’s an issue Hardman and the team will want to show improvement on when they play the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.
Should Broncos be worried about Bo Nix's early preseason struggles?
Denver Broncos second-year quarterback Bo Nix didn't look like the player who shattered expectations as a rookie in his 2025 preseason debut. Nix played just three drives in Saturday's 30-9 road win over the San Francisco 49ers. The 12th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft completed 6-of-11 passes for 31 yards and posted a below-average 60 passer rating. He also had an intentional grounding penalty that resulted in a safety. Keep in mind the 25-year-old QB played against the 49ers second-team defense. Should that raise more concerns about Nix's rocky performance? Not necessarily. The Athletic's Nick Kosmider noted things could've been different for the offense had it made one big play early. "What should be taken from Nix's outing? Not much," Kosmider wrote in a piece published Sunday. "He started the game with a well-placed deep ball down the left sideline to [wide receiver Courtland] Sutton that the veteran receiver couldn't quite haul in. With such a limited sample size, the complexion of the first-team offense's night could have been entirely different had that play been made." Nix acknowledged he wished he and Sutton had connected on the throw during a postgame news conference. While it was frustrating for the young passer, he said plays like that are something that can help the team grow. "The good thing about football is every one of those plays was different today," he said. "You saw a different outcome, so you can talk about it and just add that to your football knowledge and move on and go from there." Broncos head coach Sean Payton lets his starters play in preseason to work out the bugs before the regular season. Nix's comment suggests he's embracing that opportunity. However, he must show signs of progress in Denver's next preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Broncos are banking on Nix taking another step after finishing third in 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. If he does, that would give Denver a strong chance to win its first playoff game since Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
