Taylor

Ward

Ward was just traded to the Orioles in the offseason and will hit in the middle of their lineup for at least one more season. He did hit 36 home runs and drive in 103 runs for the Angels last season, so if he can come close to producing that in 2026, he would be a tremendous bargain at this cost.

Ward is a perfectly solid first-division regular, coming off a season in which he hit .228/.317/.475 with 36 homers and 103 RBI. Still, moving on from Rodríguez’s considerable long-term upside when they could have more easily signed a veteran bat suggests that the Orioles just don’t feel very good about his long-term outlook. Ward, who has one year left of arbitration before free agency, figures to step in as Baltimore’s starting left fielder, leaving two outfield spots and some DH at-bats to be divided among Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill and anyone else who might emerge like Heston Kjerstad or Enrique Bradfield Jr. From a fantasy standpoint, it’s a slight downgrade for Ward. Camden Yards sis a less appetizing ballpark for right-handed power hitters, despite recent changes to end the “Walltimore” era in left field. While the Orioles’ lineup is unquestionably stronger than the Halos’, Ward likely hits lower in the order than he would have in Anaheim, which could cap his counting-stat upside in the short term. He’s a top-40 range outfielder heading into fantasy drafts next spring.

20 times in major league history has a player hit at least 35 homers with an OPS less than .800. Incredibly enough, the Angels outfield could add two to that total this season, as Ward has 36 homers with a .792 OPS and Jo Adell has 35 with a .778 OPS. But those are still solid enough campaigns, particularly with offense down some from when most of the previous such seasons took place. And neither OPS compares to that of Dave Kingman’s 1986, when he finished with 35 homers and a .686 OPS.

Ward got the Angels on the board and provided all of the run support that they would need with his 410-foot (103.8 mph EV) solo shot off of Germán Márquez in the second inning. If you look past the poor batting average, the 31-year-old slugger is having a very productive season for fantasy purposes, slashing .228/.316/.472 with career-highs of 34 homers and 101 RBI to go with four stolen bases.

Ward’s two solo shots brought home the only two runs for the Angels in this one as the rest of their lineup was stymied by Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers’ bullpen. That brought Ward up to 33 home runs and an even 100 RBI on the season, each career-highs by a decent margin.

It seemed unimaginable that Ward would return to Los Angeles’ lineup after just two games when he collided with the left-field wall over the weekend resulting in a scary-looking cut above his eye that required stitches. The 31-year-old may be limited to DH for a couple games, but it’s remarkable that he’s back in the lineup so quickly after a major injury scare.

Ward will sit out his second straight game as he continues to recover from a scary-looking collision with the left-field wall at Daikin Park that required stitches to address a laceration above his right eye. The 31-year-old told reporters he’s feeling better and is expected to hit off a batting tee and play catch during pregame warmups. It’s possible he’s ready to return at some point this week, but that decision is ultimately up to the Angels medical staff.

Ward required about 20 stitches over his right eye, but he’s otherwise okay. Matthew Lugo is starting in left field in his place on Tuesday. Given how terrifying the incident seemed in the moment, it’s a welcome relief for everyone that he managed to avoid catastrophic injury.

Ward was bleeding profusely on the field after suffering the injury and had to be carted off. He did not sustain any damage to his eye, though the cut may require stitches. Montgomery did not speculate on whether Ward would also be evaluated for a concussion or not. While it sounds like he was able to avoid significant injury after the scary collision, the Angels should have another update on his status and a clear timeline for his return at some point on Monday. Fantasy managers should have a contingency plan in place in the event that he’s unable to go.

Ward was tracking a line drive off the bat of Ramon Urias in the eighth inning when he crashed face first into the metal on the scoreboard. It’s unclear where exactly he took the brunt of the damage, but he was bleeding profusely and immediately called for medical attention, ultimately getting carted off the field. He’ll head for further evaluation and treatment. Look for the Angels to provide an update on the 31-year-old slugger’s status as soon as more information becomes available.