Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor earned his first All-Star Game selection last year after a stellar first half, however, struggled as the regular season wound to a close while dealing with an injury.
Taylor played through a pinched nerve in his neck throughout most of September which affected his production. By the time the postseason came, Taylor was mostly recovered and rebounded as one of the Dodgers best hitters in the playoffs.
But that may not have been the only issue affecting Taylor in the second half.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed the 31-year-old underwent surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips during the offseason, which is why he has yet to play the field during 2022 Sprig Training, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Chris Taylor had surgery on his right elbow shortly after the 2021 season ended, weeks before signing a four-year, $60 million contract with the Dodgers.
A first-time All-Star last season, Taylor said an MRI after the season revealed bone chips which he had removed in November.
Last season Taylor hit .254/.344/.438 with 20 home runs, a 113 wRC+ and 3.1 WAR. His overall line was a step back from the 2020, but through the first 102 games of the season Taylor had a career-high 139 wRC+. In his final 46 games, Taylor only posted a 46 wRC+.
In the playoffs, Taylor hit .351/.419/.784 while appearing in 11 of the Dodgers’ 12 games. He was also the recipient of the organization’s 2021 Heart & Hustle Award and the 16th Roy Campanella Award.
Prior to the MLB lockout beginning, the Dodgers re-signed Chris Taylor to a four-year, $60 million contract with a $12 million team option for the 2026 season.
The super utility man was one of the more important players the team made an effort to retain in free agency and the two sides worked quickly to get a deal done.
Taylor ranked top-10 second baseman
Although Taylor plays all over the field, he was ranked as a top-10 second baseman by MLB Network’s The Shredder heading into the 2022 season.
The Shredder focuses on a three-year sample size, with the 2021 season weighted more heavily. Notable statistics it takes into account are WAR and wRC+, while Statcast metrics are also part of the evaluation.
It remains to be seen how much second base Taylor will end up playing this season due to the Dodgers signing Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy moving over. Nevertheless, Taylor was still ranked as the No. 10 second baseman entering the season, behind Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets.
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