Chris Taylor activated off injured list after missing 3 weeks with knee soreness

The Dodgers on Friday activated utility man Chris Taylor from the injured list after missing 15 games with right knee soreness.

On the season Taylor is hitting .206/.275/.444 with 11 home runs and a 94 wRC+, which includes a 112 wRC+ since May 1. He’s started 20 games at shortstop, 11 games at third base, and 11 games in left field.

Taylor also played three inning at second base, a position he’s started 106 games in his career, which feels more relevant since Miguel Vargas was optioned on Sunday, clearing room on the active roster for Taylor.

Taylor has done the bulk of his damage at the plate against left-handed pitchers, with seven of his 11 home runs hit against southpaw in only 69 plate appearances hitting .226/.279/.613 with a 129 wRC+.

Taylor felt soreness in his right knee running to first base on June 16 against the Giants, and was limited to two pinch-hit appearances over the next six games while still active. He was placed on the injured list on June 25, retroactive to June 22.

Backdating the IL stint ended up a moot point, since Taylor’s knee did not improve as quickly as the Dodgers hoped. That shifted Taylor’s return timetable to after the All-Star Game, though ultimately that meant the very first day after the break.

Taylor played in two minor league rehab games, playing five innings in left field in the Arizona Complex League on July 7 with a single and a walk. Two days later with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, Taylor played seven innings at shortstop, with a home run and a walk at the plate.

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