Dodgers: Chris Taylor is Heating Up and the Dodgers Need Him

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers doubles to right field in the sixth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 25, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers doubles to right field in the sixth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 25, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

It wasn’t too long ago that the Dodgers demoting Chris Taylor looked like a plausible option.  Now, CT3 is back to his regular self and still a vital part of the Dodgers.

The 2019 Dodgers got off to a much hotter start than they have in previous seasons.  Compared to 2018, they were scorching hot in the opening month of the season.  Not all the Dodgers enjoyed a quick start, however, and Chris Taylor was one of the few players on the roster that got off to a slow start.  In April, CT3 posted a .197/.265/.295 slash line and it had many wondering if it was time for a minor league demotion.

Then came the month of May, and Chris Taylor has been much better than he was in April.  In May he has posted a .311/.364/.574 line and has been hitting left-handed pitching like he did in previous seasons.  The Dodgers still need Chris Taylor, most notably against lefties when Joc Pederson is a non-factor and out of the lineup nearly every single game against a southpaw starter.

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If Enrique Hernandez continues to slump against right-handed pitching, then CT3 could even see more starts against righties which he has hit .272 against over the last three seasons.  In the meantime, he will continue to fill Joc Pederson’s starting spot against lefties and fill in around the diamond as he has done throughout his few seasons in Los Angeles.

Chris Taylor remains a valuable asset to the Dodgers and one of the best bench players in baseball.  He serves as insurance in case Corey Seager needs time off, and besides catcher and pitcher, there is not a spot on the field that he can’t play.  Last season he helped to keep the Dodgers afloat at shortstop until Manny Machado was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles.

One of the main holes on the Dodgers’ roster continues to be right-handed bats to balance out the lineup against lefties.  A.J. Pollock was supposed to help balance the lineup but he is out for the foreseeable future.  That means Chris Taylor will once again need to step up due to injury and help balance the lineup like Pollock was supposed to.  Despite the breakout seasons happening on the 2019 Dodgers, Chris Taylor still remains a pivotal piece to the Dodgers’ success.

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