ANAHEIM — Taylor Ward missed a second straight game after his collision with the fence, but he’s not planning on a missing a third.
Ward said after Sunday’s game that he thinks he will be back in the lineup after the off day, for the start of a series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
“I think so,” he said. “It just depends how I wake up tomorrow. Once it subsides I think I’ll be good to go. I think I could play now to be honest. I really do. Playing up to my ability? I’m not exactly sure what what that would be.”
Ward, who has been one of the best offensive players in the majors through the first quarter of the season, crashed into the fence just after making a catch in the ninth inning on Friday. At first it was unclear whether he’d hurt his head, his neck, his shoulder or his wrist.
The eventual diagnosis was that he had a stinger, which affects the nerves running between his neck and right shoulder. He said he took some swings and made some throws on Saturday. He didn’t feel any pain, but there was some weakness.
The Angels kept him out of Sunday’s game, too, and will send him for an MRI exam on his neck and shoulder on Monday.
“Feeling better,” Ward said. “No headache anymore. My neck pain’s gone. Really the biggest thing right now is just getting the feeling, the strength back in my arm… I just think the nerves need to time to rest. Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and I have the strength again and I’ll be OK.”
Right-hander Archie Bradley pitched in a rehab game for Class-A Inland Empire on Saturday night, only to return home to Newport Beach to find that his dog had gotten out of his yard.
Bradley tweeted a photo of the dog, Scout, on Sunday morning, and within a couple hours he was reunited with his pet, thanks to the Newport Beach animal shelter.
When Bradley was in the clubhouse on Sunday morning, he was exhausted but relieved.
“I’m pretty much running on about an hour, hour and a half, of sleep,” Bradley said. “If you’ve ever lost a dog, I went out and walked the canyon behind my house. It’s probably a waste of time, but you have to do it. It’s good to have him back. I’m very happy.”
As for the baseball, Bradley pitched a perfect inning, with one strikeout. Bradley has been out with an abdominal strain.
Jared Walsh got the day off on Sunday. Maddon wanted to give him the entire day off, because he notably didn’t even use him to pinch-hit against a right-handed pitcher or play defense late in the game. “The last time we did that he came back with two homers, so let’s see if it helps,” Maddon said. Walsh was out of the lineup on Tuesday in Texas — although he did pinch-hit — and then he hit two homers on Wednesday…
Noah Syndergaard was doing outfield drills before Sunday’s game. With Ward out, the Angels had just two healthy position players on the bench, and neither of them were outfielders. Utilityman Tyler Wade started in right field. Luis Rengifo and Walsh can also play the outfield, as can pitcher Michael Lorenzen.
Angels (RHP Noah Syndergaard, 3-2, 3.60) vs. Rangers (RHP Dane Dunning, 1-2, 3.92), Tuesday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
