Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

In a highly surprising move, Taylor will me demoted to the minors just 35 minutes before Sunday's first pitch. The Nationals needed a roster spot for the activation of Jonathan Papelbon, but one would have thought they would have looked somewhere other than Taylor, a player who hit leadoff Sunday and has accumulated 203 plate appearances this season. The only logical explanation here is that the team needs to preserve their bullpen, and Taylor will be back in the majors in short order. The move will leave manager Dusty Baker with just four bench options Monday, as Daniel Murphy will presumably be unavailable as he deals with a minor injury.