The Dodgers are placing utility man Chris Taylor on the IL with a bone bruise, according to manager Dave Roberts, as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He notes that infielder Yonny Hernandez will take Taylor’s spot on the active roster.
Taylor last appeared in a game for the Dodgers on June 21st, so the move will be retroactive to that date. Back on June 16th, Taylor started a game against the Giants at third base, but exited in the fourth inning due to knee pain. He subsequently received injections of cortisone and platelet-rich plasma in the knee but didn’t go beyond a pair of pinch-hitting appearances after that.
Prior to the injury, Taylor had made four consecutive starts at third base following Max Muncy’s hamstring strain. Taylor, 32, has also logged a notable amount of innings at shortstop and left field this year.
After a five-year stretch of excellence from 2017-21 that saw Taylor accumulate 14.7 WAR for the Dodgers with a 116 wRC+ at the plate, he reached free agency. The Dodgers moved quickly to re-sign him to a four-year contract in November of ’21, but he’s slipped to a 93 wRC+ from 2022 to present. Taylor joins a Dodgers IL list that includes 15 other players at the moment.
Hernandez, 25, has 56 big-league games on his resume. Originally signed by the Rangers out of Venezuela, most of his Major League experience came with that club in 2021. The D’Backs picked him up in an April 2022 trade, but lost him to Oakland in a November waiver claim that year. When the A’s quickly designated Hernandez for assignment, the Dodgers grabbed him for cash considerations. He had a brief appearance with the Dodgers in April of this year when Miguel Rojas hit the IL, but quickly lost his spot to Andre Jackson (who was shipped to the Pirates this afternoon).
Hernandez owns a .260/.407/.385 line in 47 Triple-A games this year, logging innings on the left side of the infield.
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