After the game, Jo Adell blasted the Astros’ stadium design, calling it “ridiculous” and demanding safer conditions for players in Major League Baseball.

The Los Angeles Angels walked away with a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday night at Daikin Park, but the result was quickly overshadowed by a frightening incident in the eighth inning that left outfielder Taylor Ward bloodied and carted off the field.

What should have been a routine chase on a fly ball turned into a moment of horror and sparked an emotional tirade from Ward’s teammate, Jo Adell, who tore into the design of Houston’s ballpark and questioned why such a hazard exists in Major League Baseball.

The play unfolded when Astros infielder Ramón Urías lofted a ball deep into left field. Ward, who has built a reputation for his aggressive outfield play, sprinted back at full speed in an attempt to make the catch.

But instead of pulling down the out, he smashed violently into the metal out-of-town scoreboard that juts into the left-field wall.

The sound of the impact was so loud that it was picked up clearly on the television broadcast, and Ward immediately grabbed his face while signaling desperately for medical help.

Within seconds, Angels relievers Andrew Chafin and Kenley Jansen raced out of the bullpen with towels in hand, pressing them against Ward’s head to stop the bleeding as teammates looked on in shock.

Fans at Daikin Park fell into a stunned silence while trainers worked on Ward, who was eventually helped off the field and transported to the clubhouse for further evaluation.

Interim manager Ray Montgomery told reporters afterward that Ward had suffered a cut above his eye and was likely heading to the hospital for stitches.

Montgomery admitted he wasn’t certain whether Ward had been tested for a concussion, but he noted that “the only saving grace” may have been that Ward didn’t brace for the impact — a natural instinct that can sometimes make head injuries worse.

“It looked like something on the wall may have clipped his eye or cut his eye. I’m hoping he’s fine,” Montgomery said.

While the Angels celebrated their shutout win on the field, the mood in the clubhouse was anything but light.

Jo Adell, who hit a home run earlier in the game, directed his postgame comments not toward the victory, but at what he considered an unacceptable and dangerous design flaw in Houston’s ballpark.

“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s being aggressive on a play,” Adell said. “At the bottom line, and I’ve talked about this before, but there should be no out-of-town metal scoreboard anywhere on the baseball field.

It’s the big leagues. This s–t is ridiculous. A guy goes back to make a play, and he’s got to worry about a metal fence. That’s crazy. So that’s my honest opinion about it. He did everything he could to make a play, and he gets beat up by something that’s beyond controllable.”

Adell’s words carried the frustration of not only a teammate but also of a player who has watched too many colleagues fall victim to poorly designed stadium features. Across MLB history, wall collisions have led to some of the game’s most terrifying injuries.

Former Mets outfielder Ryan Church famously suffered multiple concussions after wall crashes, while players like Aaron Rowand and Bryce Harper endured broken bones and deep cuts in similar incidents.

Though protective padding has become standard in most outfields, unusual quirks remain in some parks, and Daikin Park’s metal scoreboard is now at the center of that debate.

Ward, 30, has endured a rough stretch of injuries in recent years. Last season, he was hit in the face by a pitch, suffering multiple facial fractures that required surgery and months of recovery.

That comeback was celebrated by fans and teammates alike, making Sunday’s bloody scene all the more gut-wrenching.

Ward had entered this season healthy and eager to reestablish himself as a reliable bat and steady defender for Los Angeles, and his willingness to go all-out on plays has earned him respect across the league.

The Angels have already battled through adversity in 2025, dealing with roster shakeups, trade rumors, and the continued absence of Shohei Ohtani, who departed for the Dodgers in free agency.

A season that many thought would unravel has instead been kept afloat by a mixture of veteran leadership and breakout performances.

Sunday’s win over the Astros marked their third shutout in a week, with rookie starter Mason Erla delivering six dominant innings before handing it off to a lockdown bullpen.

But even with the win, the spotlight was on the dangers players face when chasing fly balls into unfamiliar territory.

Adell, who has emerged this season not only as a power hitter but also as one of the emotional leaders of the clubhouse, didn’t shy away from calling out league officials.

“It’s the big leagues,” he repeated. “We’re supposed to be playing in the best conditions in the world, and instead you’ve got guys bleeding out because of metal scoreboards on the wall.

That’s not acceptable.” His comments quickly spread across social media, with many fans and former players agreeing that MLB needs to review stadium safety features and hold teams accountable for outdated or unsafe wall designs.

The Angels left Houston uncertain about how long they might be without Ward. Montgomery said the team would know more after medical evaluations were complete but admitted the sight of blood on Ward’s face shook the dugout.

“You never want to see your teammate like that,” he said. “But he’s tough. If anybody can handle it, it’s him.”

As for the Astros, they have long marketed Daikin Park as a modern ballpark with fan-friendly features, but this incident may now force uncomfortable questions about whether aesthetics have come at the expense of player safety.

With the Angels heading home and the Astros preparing for their next series, the reverberations of Adell’s fiery criticism are unlikely to fade quickly.

For Ward, the priority now is healing once again from an injury that could have been prevented. For Adell and the rest of the Angels, Sunday night was a painful reminder that winning the game sometimes comes second to ensuring players simply walk off the field unscathed.

And for Major League Baseball, it may spark yet another debate over whether every corner of every ballpark truly meets the standard of “the big leagues.”