Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Mon 5/15/17 9:16 AM

Taylor went 1-for-4 with a two-run, game-winning home run in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
After going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the first game of Sunday's twin bill, Taylor crushed the first pitch he saw from Pat Neshak in the eighth inning of the nightcap to give the Nats a split. The homer was Taylor's second of the season and second in four games, as the 26-year-old looks to firm up his hold on the starting center field spot.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 5/14/17 10:45 AM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's win over the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
He's still striking out too much (37.5 percent) to expect much improvement in his .254/.292/.388 slash line, but Taylor will remain the Nats' starting center fielder unless his production completely craters, giving him some fantasy value simply by virtue of being a regular part of one of the most dangerous offenses in baseball.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Thu 5/11/17 1:42 AM

Taylor went 2-for-4 with his first homer of the year and two strikeouts in Wednesday's win over Baltimore.
EDGE Analysis
That's Taylor in a nutshell: intriguing power, good speed, and tons of strikeouts. He hit eighth in this game after going 2-for-19 with 10 strikeouts over the past five, and it'll probably take more than one nice game for Taylor to hit his way out of that lineup slot.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/10/17 3:36 PM

Updating a previous report, Taylor will bat eighth in the order rather than second.
EDGE Analysis
Jayson Werth was initially scheduled to receive the day off, but manager Dusty Baker made the veteran outfielder a late addition to the lineup, resulting in Taylor moving back to his normal spot in the bottom third of the order. The low placement in the lineup hasn't hindered Taylor's productivity of late, with the 26-year-old slashing .289/.341/.421 in his 10 games since replacing the injured Adam Eaton (knee) in center field.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 5/10/17 3:23 PM

Taylor is starting in center field and will bat second in the order Wednesday against the Orioles, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will draw his 11th start in a row and figures to serve as the Nationals' everyday center fielder until further notice with Adam Eaton (knee) likely out of the season, but the move to the two hole Wednesday is presumably just a one-time arrangement with Jayson Werth getting the day off for rest. That said, even if Taylor returns to a spot in the bottom third of the lineup before long, he's still worth keeping an eye on in deeper leagues where available. Since replacing Eaton in the lineup, Taylor is batting .289 with four runs, three RBI and two steals.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Thu 5/4/17 7:34 PM

Taylor went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and two walks during Thursday's win over Arizona.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor is now sporting a five-game hitting streak (9-for-19) with four runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. The Washington lineup is stacked, and Taylor has an everyday role, so his fantasy value could continue to climb quickly. A speculative add could pay off handsomely because of Taylor's cross-category potential. Just note that he entered Thursday's game with a career .641 OPS and is far from a risk-free acquisition.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 4/30/17 12:15 PM

Taylor is batting seventh in the lineup and playing center field during Sunday's game against the Mets.
EDGE Analysis
When the Nationals' lineup was initially released Sunday morning, Taylor was locked into the second spot. Manager Dusty Baker has decided to make some last-second changes, moving Taylor down to seventh in the lineup and penciling Jayson Werth into the two-hole. Taylor posted a .262 OBP over 65 major-league plate appearances in 2016.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 4/30/17 10:56 AM

Taylor went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's loss to the Mets.
EDGE Analysis
The 26-year-old looked good in his first start since Adam Eaton blew out his knee, and Taylor should get plenty of at-bats in center field moving forward. Should he struggle, the Nats could look outside the organization or to the minor leagues for another option, where No. 10 prospect Andrew Stevenson is hitting .364 with Double-A Harrisburg and No. 1 prospect Victor Robles is also off to a hot start for High-A Potomac.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sat 4/29/17 8:07 PM

Taylor will be in line for an everyday role in center field with Adam Eaton out for the year with a torn ACL, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor's temporary stint in the outfield has suddenly become a golden opportunity to prove his worth on the big-league level. The 26-year-old has been relatively unimpressive over four seasons with the Nats, mainly being used for his speed on the base paths and in the outfield. Taylor will need to show some resemblance of his 2015 production at the plate, when he knocked in 14 home runs and 63 RBI, while also cutting down on the strikeout rate (77 in 76 games last year). Look for Washington to make a move at the trade deadline if he fails to live up to expectations

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sat 4/29/17 11:28 AM

Manager Dusty Baker confirmed Saturday that Taylor, who is hitting second against the Mets, will be the everyday center fielder while Adam Eaton (knee, ankle) is sidelined, the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Nationals are awaiting MRI results for Eaton, and Baker was emphatic that neither Trea Turner or Bryce Harper would get starts in center field while Eaton is out. Taylor has had several shots at establishing himself as an everyday player in the majors, and has yet to make good on those opportunities. Still, he has an intriguing power/speed combination that could make him useful in NL-only and deep mixed leagues in the short term. It is unclear how long Eaton will be out, but a DL stint seems likely.