The Angels have announced that outfielder Taylor Ward has been placed on the 10-day IL, categorizing his injury as a mild right hamstring strain. The move is retroactive to June 4. Fellow outfielder Jo Adell has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
Ward was one of the most pleasant surprises of the first few weeks of the season. Through May 20, he was hitting an astounding .370/.481/.713 for a wRC+ of 242. Since then, however, a couple of injuries have slowed him down.
He collided with the outfield wall while making a catch in the club’s game on May 20, causing some pain in his neck and shoulder. He eventually returned to action, but then this hamstring issue flared up. Between the two maladies, he’s only been able to make 27 plate appearances over the past two weeks, hitting .167/.259/.333 in that time.
It doesn’t seem Ward is in line for an extended absence, as manager Joe Maddon tells reporters, including Sam Blum of The Athletic, that they’re hoping he’ll miss “minimal time.” While he’s out, Adell will step in and take another shot at finding success in the big leagues.
Over the past few seasons, Adell has tantalized with excellent production in the minors but hasn’t yet been able to get into a groove at the MLB level. In 92 games over the past three seasons, his career batting line is .207/.249/.351, 63 wRC+.
Much like Ward, the Angels jumped out to a hot start but have been slowed recently. They are currently mired in a 10-game losing streak that has dropped their record to 27-27. Despite that awful slump, they’re still in possession of the final Wild Card playoff spot in the American League, though four teams are within a game and a half of them.
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