The Dodgers provide a utility man ChrisTaylor on the IL with a bone contusion, according to manager Dave Roberts, as reported by Fabian Ardaya from The Athletic. He notices this infielder Yonny Hernández will take Taylor’s place in the active roster.
Taylor last appeared in a game for the Dodgers on June 21, so the move will be retroactive to that date. On June 16, Taylor started a game against the Giants at third base but was knocked out in the fourth inning with knee pain. Then he received Cortisone and platelet-rich plasma injections in the knee, but couldn’t get beyond a few tricky performances afterwards.
Prior to the injury, Taylor had completed four consecutive starts at third base Max Muncyis a thigh muscle strain. Taylor, 32, has also recorded a notable number of innings in shortstop and left field this year.
After a five-year streak of excellence from 2017-21, during which Taylor amassed 14.7 WAR for the Dodgers and clocked a 116 WRC+, he achieved free agency. The Dodgers responded quickly, re-signing him to a four-year deal on November 21, but he’s slipped to 93 wRC+ from 2022 to date. Taylor joins a Dodgers IL roster that currently includes 15 other players.
The 25-year-old Hernandez has 56 major league games on his resume. Originally signed by Venezuela’s Rangers, he gained most of his major league experience with that club in 2021. The D’Backs took him in April 2022 but lost him to Oakland that year as part of a November waiver request. When the A’s quickly tagged Hernandez, the Dodgers grabbed him for money. He made a brief appearance with the Dodgers in April of that year Miguel Rojas met the IL, but quickly lost his place Andrew Jackson (which was shipped to the pirates this afternoon).
Hernandez owned a .260/.407/.385 line in 47 Triple-A games that year and recorded innings down the left side of the infield.