Chris Taylor leaves game after fouling ball off his left knee

Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor left Monday’s game against the Pirates after fouling a ball off his left knee in the sixth inning.

Taylor fouled a 2-2 pitch from José Quintna directly off his left knee in the top of the sixth inning. Taylor stayed upright momentarily but immediately grimaced in pain, hopping on his right leg.

After conferring with a trainer and manager Dave Roberts, Taylor tried running and stayed in the game to finish the at-bat. Three pitches later, Taylor struck out looking.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Taylor was replaced in left field by Gavin Lux, who moved from second base, with Max Muncy entering the game at second, in Taylor’s spot in the batting order.

Taylor suffered a bone bruise in his left knee, per the SportsNet LA broadcast. He’s day-to-day.

It sounds like no matter the diagnosis, Taylor wasn’t going to play on Tuesday anyway.

Taylor is hitting .256/.327/.384 with eight extra-base hits and a 106 wRC+ so far this season. All 24 of his starts in the field this season have come in the outfield, including 23 starts in left field. At the end of spring training, Roberts said he didn’t want to move Taylor, who started six different positions last season, between the outfield and infield early this season as to not change arm angles after Taylor had elbow surgery in November.

Lately Taylor has slumped at the plate, just 6-for-34 (.176/.222/.324) with 20 strikeouts in his last 10 games. Taylor in his last five games has struck out 12 times, tied for the third-most strikeouts in any five-game stretch in Dodgers history, behind only a pair of stretches by pitcher Sandy Koufax.