He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2008 for the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs.

The next day, he hit a 3-run home run in the All Star Game, leading the PCL to victory after joining the team as a last minute replacement.

On July 6 of that year, he became the first player to hit a home run out of Pittsburgh's PNC Park and into the Allegheny River "on the fly" during a regular-season game (the other player being Garrett Jones with a 463-foot home run on June 2, 2013); the shot, a grand slam, came off Pittsburgh's Kip Wells.

On May 26, 2004, Ward, recalled from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds two weeks before, hit for the cycle and tied his career high with six RBI in the Pirates' 11–8 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ward hit a two-run double in the first, an RBI triple in the fourth, golfed a three-run homer in the fifth and singled in the ninth.

(They were later joined by Craig and Cavan Biggio on September 17, 2019 as the only 2 father and son duos to hit for the cycle in MLB history.)

Ward slumped later in the season, slowed down by a wrist injury, and finished hitting .249 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI, with a .306 OBP and .474 SLG.

Ward was signed on December 7, 2006 by the Chicago Cubs to a one-year deal worth $1.05 million after hitting .308 with a .380 OBP in 2006 for Washington and Atlanta in 150 combined plate appearances.

On August 18 Ward hit a grand slam in the third inning off of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes, the third of his career and his first home run as a member of the Cubs.

On February 5, 2009, Ward signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds.

On April 9, 2015, prior to the 2015 Atlantic League Season Ward signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.