Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sat 4/23/16 10:27 AM

Taylor is not in the lineup Saturday against the Twins, Chase Hughes of CSN Washington reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor has started the last five games in center field, but the Nats will go with Chris Heisey on Saturday against Twins starter Phil Hughes. Heisey will lead off, and he'll be joined in the outfield by Jayson Werth (left) and Bryce Harper (right).

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 4/20/16 10:23 PM

Taylor had an all-or-nothing game Wednesday in Miami, going 1-for-4 with a solo homer and three strikeouts.
EDGE Analysis
Sure, the homer is nice -- as is the fact that he's knocked extra-base hits in three straight games -- but Taylor has been a whiff machine lately, which doesn't bode well for his future as the Nats' leadoff hitter. He's struck out 11 times in the last six games and owns a miserable .211 OBP in the early going. But with Ben Revere (oblique) likely out for another couple weeks, Taylor will get his share of opportunities to right the ship in the near future.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 4/17/16 10:21 AM

Taylor is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor homered Friday but struck out four times over the last two games and is hitting just .154 on the season, so manager Dusty Baker decided to hold him out Sunday. Chris Heisey will man center field for the Nationals in Taylor's place.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Fri 4/15/16 3:50 PM

Taylor is in the lineup and batting leadoff for Friday's game against the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
With Ben Revere on the 15-day DL, Taylor should see a lot more playing time in the coming games. The 25-year-old is hitting .138/.133/.138 in seven games this season.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Thu 4/14/16 12:47 PM

Taylor is out of Thursday's lineup against the Braves.
EDGE Analysis
He makes way for Matt Den Dekker on Thursday in what is simply a day off in the middle of the week. Taylor has yet to show off his plus power at the plate this season, although it is only a matter of time before he starts to slug some extra-base hits.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Tue 4/12/16 10:05 AM

Taylor went 2-for-5 Monday with a run scored and his first two stolen bases of the season.
EDGE Analysis
The Nationals abused A.J. Pierzynski on the basepaths Monday, as Taylor and Bryce Harper each swiped two bags. After an 0-for-11 start to the season, Taylor now has three hits in the last two games as he settles into the leadoff spot in place of Ben Revere (oblique).

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Wed 4/6/16 3:50 PM

Taylor will remain in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Braves, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. He'll bat leadoff as the Nationals' center fielder.
EDGE Analysis
With Ben Revere (ribs) sitting out for Wednesday's matchup with the Braves, Taylor will take his spot atop the lineup and in the field. Taylor and the Braves will be going against veteran journeyman and right-hander Bud Norris on Wednesday. Taylor bats a mere .221 against righties but 11 of his 15 career home runs have come against right-handed pitchers.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Tue 4/5/16 10:38 AM

Taylor replaced Ben Revere (rib cage) in center field during the fourth inning of Monday's win over the Braves, going 0-for-2 with an RBI on a sac fly.
EDGE Analysis
The Nationals haven't yet called Revere's injury an oblique strain, saying that he has a muscular injury along his rib cage, so for now Taylor is only set to be a short-term replacement. If Revere's issue does turn out to be more serious, however, Taylor would be in line to start for a significant stretch. Given his upside in power and speed, he could be worth picking up now in shallower formats where he went undrafted.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Fri 3/25/16 9:47 AM

Taylor stayed hot Thursday, going 2-for-4 with his fourth double and fourth home run of the spring.
EDGE Analysis
He's now slashing an eye-popping .486/.513/.919 through 37 Grapefruit League at-bats, but unfortunately for Taylor the Nationals' starting outfield is set with Jayson Werth in left, Ben Revere in center and Bryce Harper in right. Expect Taylor to back up all three spots to begin the season, but should an injury push him into the starting lineup, he's got significant upside.

Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Sun 3/13/16 1:00 PM

New Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that Taylor was "gonna play quite a bit" this season, the Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor's had a great start to spring training, including a 3-for-3 game Saturday with two doubles and a spectacular catch in center field, but despite Baker's positivity there's no obvious path to playing time for him following the team's acquisition of Ben Revere. Still, Jayson Werth is far from an iron man and Bryce Harper has had his own injury issues in the past, so Taylor could find his way into the lineup as more than just a defensive replacement from time to time. If he matches last season's 472 at-bats, however, something has probably gone very wrong in Washington.