The Los Angeles Dodgers were expecting to receive a boost to their already-strong lineup earlier this month when they reinstated Chris Taylor from the 15-day injured list.
Taylor was returning from a fractured foot at the time, but since his activation, the 31-year-old has struggled at the plate, batting just .171/.289/.303 with two home runs and a 74 wRC+.
The poor offensive line is backed by a 37.8% strikeout rate. But despite the lack of production, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently expressed confidence Taylor will be able to turn his season around.
“C.T. is very mechanics-driven,” Roberts said. “I think that some could argue too much, but you can’t discount how hard he works in trying to right the ship. I do know that he’s had bouts of hot streaks and some cold streaks. I don’t think he likes that.
“My goal, as well as C.T.’s and the hitting guys, is to work through some things mechanically, get him right. I believe that the swing and miss will be curtailed.”
In his career, Taylor has struck out 28.5% of the time, which is on the higher end of hitters as it would rank as the seventh-highest rate in baseball this year. However, despite those strikeouts, Taylor has still been able to be a productive player for the team.
“I don’t know that answer,” Roberts said when asked if anything is different with Taylor this season. “I know that he’s had stints where there’s swing and miss in there. He knows that it needs to get cleaned up. Balls that are in the strike zone, you’ve got to move forward. No one knows that more than he does.”
Although Taylor has not been producing with his bat at the moment, he has still been a versatile player with his glove and helping the team on defense, which included a highlight catch against the Milwaukee Brewers last week.
But even with his strong defensive play, the Dodgers will need Taylor to figure out his swing before October. Fortunately for them, they have more than enough time left and a big enough lead in the National League West to let Taylor play through his issues.
Taylor participates in Turner Trot 5K
Justin and Kourtney Turner hosted the 2022 Turner Trot 5K on Sunday, with the 3.1-mile course taking participants from Dodger Stadium to the Dream Center.
The event drew more than 1,200 in-person participants, with Taylor and his fiancée among those to walk it.
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