Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Chris Taylor Has Been Battling Through a Neck Issue

Dodgers fans might have noticed at this point that the offense isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders. It seems like all over the lineup, there are guys going through their own mini-slumps at the moment. That would include Chris Taylor.

The Dodgers utilityman has collected just 2 hits in the month of September, with one being a homerun in St Louis. He has also struck out 13 times in 31 at-bats following the win over the Padres last night. 



But Taylor did manage to get the run across with a sacrifice fly against the Padres on Friday. After the game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that CT3 has actually been dealing with a neck issue. That could be part of what has contributed to this slump.

He’s a glue guy, he’s an All-Star even when he’s not swinging the bat the way he is capable of…He’s been battling this neck thing, but he’ll never make excuses. But I trust him as a ballplayer. 

Doc also noted that Taylor would not ever lean on that as an excuse for his slump. But the Dodgers utilityman is certainly in the middle of a worrisome struggle. Since the start of August, he is hitting just .187 and striking out much more than he should. 

Dodgers Related: Doc Hints at Options Outside of Bellinger

The good news? There is still time to turn things around before October. Doc also said that there was never any thought of placing him on the injured list, which must mean he’s healthy enough to keep playing. Keep grinding out at-bats and the hits will come. 

Dodgers Playing with an Unwarranted Arrogance as 9th Division Crown Slips Away

18 Comments

  1. Thank you Chris taylor for being a blue collar anchor on this Dodgers team….The guy ALWAYS finds a way to help us win…..Play Beaty in left, Muncy at 2nd, Turner in center….Give Taylor a couple treatment days…..Pretty simple solution for Roberts, let’s go Dave…….

  2. Absolutely, Kirk. Normally, I would say that our Dodgers can rest after the season is over, but if any Dodgers player deserves to rest, its Taylor. Taylor, as well as AJ, carried this team through-what seemed like-an endless stream of IL’s and was consistently clutch until recently. Time for others to carry the load for awhile so he can reset. Great win last night. Keep it Going, Dodgers!

  3. If indeed Taylor has a neck issue, take care of it now, like kirk douglas states. Don’t let it become a bigger issue….

    Now that Beaty is back, keep him in LF.

    If you have to play Belli in certain games, we have some decent hitting pitchers. How about putting the pitcher in the 8th slot, Belli slotted in the 9 hole. If this is done, you either have Trey Turner or Mookie Betts right behind him, giving some ‘coverage’ to Belli… who knows, I think it’s worth a try….

    We do need a consistent lineup, every day. Each player will know what their role is in the lineup and prepare accordingly. And BTW, get Corey Seager in the 2 slot!

    Dodger management, if you need me, email me for my phone number, free advise!

    1. Throughout the 2020 season Seager was batting 2nd and Muncy batting 4th. Why dumb Roberts doesn’t do that now is beyond me. If Dodgers can give CT3 a bit of a break and also keep Bellinger only for late inning defense in CF, they just have to find someone to fill in for a bit in CF. BETTS could play there if it weren’t for his hip issue. But when all is said and done losing Kike has hurt big time.

    2. Doug, great ideas about hitting Belli 9th if we have to play him…Joe Maddon used that approach quite often when he and Cubs won the world series in 16. If that ever did transpire it would just take Bellinger to quit swinging at balloons in the dirt and in front of the plate. With Betts behind him he may just get a few strikes……..Doug isn’t it amazing how many fans including myself must constantly TRY and wake up Roberts to simple strategies and personnel suggestions? One way he could shut everyone up is to simply play his best most productive hitters in the organization. His excuses blaming their defense is completely B.S. , because none of them would have been put in this organization if they were a “Liability”….. Lip service Dave better start who get’s it done and quit wasting the remainder of this season….

    3. Doug, I am also available if Management wants to reach out to me (smile.)

      Seriously, for the remainder of the season, I just want to see: continuity in our lineup; no more resting of players unless injured or they have reason to be exhausted; good strategy in the use of our bullpen (which has been done, overall); and, Bellinger getting the help he needs.

      We have been so used to watching our Dodgers take the Division and most of the time enjoy a deep post season. This season has been jarring, to say the least, with the Giants exclusively at the top of NL West and MLB. Despite the 2+ game deficit and running out of games to catch up, we still have a shot at the Division. Logically, this will require that The Giants will have to lose and we must play smart ball to win. Afterall, it is smart ball, and admittedly, a bit of luck sometimes, that wins games. Go Dodgers!

  4. Tell Taylor to choke up ,hit the ball to right field, and stop swinging so dam hard if his neck is really sore.

  5. Stop whipping the bat so dang much, and stop trying to hit a home run every time up. Geez, the mental approach by the hitters and coaching staff is amazingly dumb.

  6. I think that there is a possibility that management has basically conceded winning the division. Since I have nothing to do today until “it’s time for dodger baseball”, I just started thinking about next year. I realize that this may be a “stretch” — a huge “stretch”. What if Dave Roberts does not return as manager; regardless of the reason. Since the Giants have a former Dodger (Gabe Kapler) as manager, the Dodgers hire Bruce Bochy as their manager. One step further. The Padres fire their present manager Jayce Tingler, and hire Dave Roberts. I probably have too much time on my hands today — as all days.

      1. Kirk, I say the same. Ya look at all the LA Dodger managers, Alston, Lasorda, Russell, Johnson, Tracey. Mattingly. now Roberts, I must say Roberts is or has been the worst of all of them, especially this year. And someone will remind us of our WS last year. Dodgers won because of the better lineup AND A DH! That DH alone kept Roberts from the problems he’s had with in game management and made handling the pitching A HECK of a lot easier for him.

  7. Could we raise Leo Durocher from the dead to manage in 2022? It could be an interesting prospect, and would bring a lot of fire to this team. And the way Leo managed, scheduled days off would be as dead an idea as Leo is now!

  8. To say Taylor strikes oit a lot is redundant. I believe he led the NL, and possibly MLB, in strikeouts in 2019 (?). A great stat for a pitcher, not so much for a position player. And that season, he was sharing some playing time with Kike.

  9. Some of you folks know so little about the Dodgers , yet manage to blame Roberts for everything including your own personal failures. Shame on you

    1. they go after Belli and Kenley too. This site is the graveyard of whiny Dodger fans who don’t know the game and don’t trust the team. It can’t be this bad for other teams which all have worse records than the Dodgers – can it?

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