Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 7/24/16 6:51 PM

Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Sunday's game against the Padres, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
EDGE Analysis
The move was made reportedly to make space on the 25-man roster for the return of Ryan Zimmermann, leaving Ben Revere and Chris Heisey as the top center field options for the Nationals, with Trea Turner also serving as another alternative.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 7/17/16 10:47 AM

Taylor is out of the lineup for the second straight game Sunday against the Pirates, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
EDGE Analysis
Nothing out of the ordinary here, as Taylor continues to split time in center field with Ben Revere. Look for the young, speedy outfielder to continue to see sporadic starts as long as the team's outfield is fully healthy.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sat 7/16/16 4:09 AM

Taylor went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Pirates.
EDGE Analysis
He went deep in the seventh against reliever Neftali Feliz with a 379-foot two-run shot that plated Stephen Strasburg, his first homer since June 19 versus the Padres. Taylor enjoyed a stellar June where he slashed .310/.355/.500, but has only two hits over his first 10 at-bats in July as he continues sharing time with Ben Revere.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Fri 7/8/16 2:07 PM

Taylor was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.
EDGE Analysis
As expected, Taylor's stay at Triple-A Syracuse was very brief. He only played in one game, during which he went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. Taylor's performance at the plate has been rather subpar, as he's hitting just .225/.266/.372, so he'll likely continue sharing time with Ben Revere in the outfield. However it's worth noting that while Revere's batting average is just .230 for the season, he's shown improvement as of late and could get the nod to start over Taylor as the season goes on.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Mon 7/4/16 3:19 PM

Manager Dusty Baker suggested Monday that Taylor could return to the Nationals within 10 days, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor was surprisingly sent to Triple-A on Monday, but it seems as if the Nationals are simply looking to get him some extra at-bats through the upcoming All-Star break. The team needed a roster spot for the activation of Jonathan Papelbon on Sunday, and decided to sacrifice one of their bench options in favor of retaining more relief pitching. Until Taylor is back, Chris Heisey and Clint Robinson will serve as the fourth and fifth outfielders, respectively.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Mon 7/4/16 10:25 AM

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.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sat 6/25/16 1:11 PM

Taylor is not in the lineup for Saturday's matchup with Milwaukee, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor has made starts in six of the last seven Nationals' games and so will cede center field duties to Ben Revere with Jayson Werth sliding over to left. When Taylor likely returns to the lineup on Sunday, he'll look to make better contact with the ball as he's 1-for-10 with eight strikeouts over his last two games.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Tue 6/21/16 6:12 PM

Taylor is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.
EDGE Analysis
On Sunday, manager Dusty Baker said that Taylor will start in center field against left-handed pitching as part of a platoon. But with Scott Kazmir (a southpaw) on the mound, Taylor is not in the lineup in favor for Ben Revere who will be leading off for the Nationals tonight. Taylor has started four consecutive games for Washington and is having a great June, hitting .378 with two home runs and six RBI. He will most likely be back in the lineup Wednesday with the Nationals facing left-handed pitcher Julio Urias for the finale of the Dodgers series.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Mon 6/20/16 11:00 AM

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after Sunday's game that Taylor would start in center field against left-handed pitching, The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
That makes Taylor a fairly strong play this week, as the Nats face three consecutive left-handed Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir and Julio Urias) beginning Monday. Whether he stays on the short side of a platoon or takes more time away from Ben Revere going forward will depend largely on how Taylor produces, as he struggled earlier in the season while Revere was hurt.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 6/19/16 8:11 PM

Taylor went-4-for-4 with a double, two solo homers and a steal Sunday at the Padres.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor's second blast of the contest tied the game at two in the fifth inning, but the Nationals were unable to score after that, leading to a road loss. He's now stolen a base in three straight games to give him 10 on the year.