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Tyrone Taylor

Tyrone Taylor Undergoes Hernia, Elbow Surgeries

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Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor underwent a pair of offseason surgeries, the team announced Friday. Taylor had an umbilical hernia repair performed back on Oct. 30 and just yesterday underwent a procedure to remove a loose body in his right elbow. Typical recovery for each surgery is about two months, per the team. Assuming Taylor’s rehab follows a similar timetable, he’d be ready in time for spring training.

Taylor, 30, is headed into his second season with the Mets, who acquired him from the Brewers alongside Adrian Houser in a trade that sent pitching prospect Coleman Crow back to Milwaukee. While Houser’s lone year in Queens didn’t prove fruitful, Taylor wound up playing a notable role as an oft-used backup who slotted into 130 games and took 345 turns at the plate. He hit .248/.299/.401 with seven homers, 11 steals and strong defense across all three outfield spots. Taylor was particularly productive from June onward, slashing .258/.323/.440 (115 wRC+) in that stretch.

The Mets can control Taylor for another two seasons. He’s eligible for arbitration this winter and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn an affordable $2.9MM salary. As things stand, he’s in line for an increased role next year, with Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte representing the only other experienced outfielders on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Of course, the Mets are widely expected to be in the outfield market this winter. Owner Steve Cohen is meeting with Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras next week, and even if the Mets can’t lure Soto to Queens, they’ll have plenty of other options to choose from in free agency. With Nimmo capable of handling center, the Mets can look into free agents and trade targets of both the corner-outfield and center field variety. Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler O’Neill and Jurickson Profar are among the free agents this winter.

Mets Acquire Adrian Houser, Tyrone Taylor From Brewers

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The Mets have acquired right-hander Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers for right-handed minor leaguer Coleman Crow, per announcements from both clubs. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Houser and Taylor were going to the Mets for a minor leaguer. Robert Murray of FanSided reported that Crow would be that minor leaguer.

David Stearns is plenty familiar with Houser and Taylor, having spent many years calling the shots in Milwaukee before becoming president of baseball operations for the Mets a couple of months ago. In both cases, the player has had some major league success but had reached arbitration and was in competition for playing time in Milwaukee. Instead, they will head to a Mets club that has been primarily focused on depth moves this offseason, while allowing the Brewers to clear a bit of payroll.

Houser, 31 in February, has been a solid contributor for the Brewers in the past five seasons, mostly as a starter. From 2019 to the present, he’s appeared in 120 games, 97 of those being starts. In his 523 2/3 innings pitched, he has an earned run average of 4.04. His 19.2% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate aren’t especially strong but he’s kept 52.5% of balls in play on the ground.

He has just over five years of service time, meaning he’s slated for free agency after 2024. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a salary of $5.6MM next year. Houser might project as merely a back end starter with just one year of control, but that’s still a relative bargain compared to free agents. The Mets paid $13MM to get Luis Severino for one year, while other clubs have given out comparable deals. Jack Flaherty got $14MM, Kyle Gibson $13MM, Lance Lynn $11MM, Wade Miley $8.5MM and Martín Pérez $8MM.

In Milwaukee, Houser was slated to be behind Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Miley, battling pitchers like Colin Rea, Joe Ross, Janson Junk, Aaron Ashby and Robert Gasser for starts. But instead, he’ll jump to a somewhat similar spot with the Mets. His new club has Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Severino in three spots, with pitchers like Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and José Butto options for the back end. The club has been heavily linked to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and everyone would move down one spot if they successfully land him, but Houser should be in line for a role at the back of the rotation either way. He will have a leg up on Megill, Lucchesi and Butto in the sense that they can still be optioned to the minors but Houser cannot, as a player with more than five years of service time.

Taylor, 30 in January, seemed to establish himself as a viable big leaguer in 2021 and 2022. He got into 213 games for the Brewers over that stretch, hitting 29 home runs and slashing .239/.300/.448 for a wRC+ of 104. He also got strong grades for his outfield defense in all three spots and produced 3.4 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.

But he dealt with an elbow sprain in Spring Training this year, which caused him to miss the first month of the season and then another month-plus in the middle of the year. He only got into 81 games and had diminished production when in the lineup, hitting .234/.267/.446 on the year.

He reached arbitration for the first time this winter and is projected to make $1.7MM, with two years of control beyond that. He was also going to be part of a crowded outfield mix in Milwaukee that includes Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins, Joey Wiemer and Chris Roller.

With the Mets, they have Brandon Nimmo in center but the corners are more questionable. Starling Marte was dealing with groin issues in 2023, missing roughly half the season and struggling when on the field. DJ Stewart finished the season on a hot streak at the plate but is a poor defender and better suited to be rotating through the designated hitter spot or pinch-hitting duties. Taylor’s righty bat could also potentially platoon with the lefty Stewart. Taylor has fairly neutral splits in his career but Stewart has been far better with the platoon advantage.

Crow, 23 later this month, was drafted by the Angels. He was traded to the Mets in the Eduardo Escobar deal in June but underwent Tommy John surgery in August, meaning he may miss most or all of the 2024 season. At the time of the Escobar trade, he was ranked the Angels’ #17 prospect at Baseball America and #8 at FanGraphs. He’s currently listed 25th in the Mets’ system at BA and 20th at FG. He tossed 128 Double-A innings in 2022 with a 4.85 ERA.

Aside from their pursuit of Yamamoto, the Mets have mostly been focused on adding depth this winter. They have claimed Penn Murfee, Zack Short, Tyler Heineman and Cooper Hummel off waivers. They have given one-year deals to Severino, Joey Wendle, Michael Tonkin, Jorge López and Austin Adams. They have also given minor league deals to Cole Sulser, Kyle Crick, José Iglesias, Taylor Kohlwey, Rylan Bannon, Trayce Thompson and Cam Robinson. Now they have bolstered their rotation and outfield with a couple of solid regulars.

For the Brewers, they are cutting a projected $7.3MM from their 2024 payroll. They are subtracting a bit of depth in the process but still have plenty of other options for their rotation and outfield even after this deal, while taking a flier on a long-term prospect in Crow.

Roster Resource currently pegs next year’s payroll at $104MM, well below last year’s Opening Day mark of $119MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. There have been plenty of trade rumors this winter surrounding guys like Burns and Willy Adames, but it doesn’t appear as though the club needs to make a move of either of those guys just for payroll purposes, assuming they are willing to have a similar payroll to 2023.

As for the Mets, they are taking on that $7.1MM but could end up paying more. RR currently has their competitive balance tax number at $298MM, just above the fourth and highest threshold of $297MM. As a third time payor, their tax rates in each bracket are 50%, 62%, 95% and 110%. But the tax isn’t calculated until the end of the year. If the club isn’t competitive at the deadline and they trade some players with notable salaries, they could change their final position. Though signing Yamamoto for something in the $250-300MM range would obviously push them even further beyond their current level.

NL Central Notes: Reds, Cubs, Taylor

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Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that outfielder Harrison Bader won’t return to the field this year, and that the odds of right-hander Tejay Antone making it back before 2024 are “remote.” While both players were already known to be out for the remainder of the regular season due to their recent placements on the injured list, Bell’s comments pour cold water on hopes of either player making an impact for Cincinnati this postseason in the event the Reds are able to claim one of the NL Wild Card spots. Pending the end of tonight’s game against Pittsburgh, the Reds currently sit two games behind the Cubs for the final NL Wild Card spot. The club is also one game back of the Marlins, the top NL club currently outside the postseason picture.

Antone made just five appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds this year due to injuries, but was dominant in that limited action with a 1.59 ERA and a 33.3% strikeout rate in 5 2/3 innings of work. Given the right-hander’s strong track record in Cincinnati when healthy, he figures to feature prominently in the club’s plans next year even in the event he doesn’t return this season.

The same can’t be said for Bader, a pending free agent who joined the Reds after being placed on waivers by the Yankees at the end of August. Bader had struggled with the bat in New York, slashing just .240/.278/.365 in 84 games with the club, but more than made up for it with his superlative glovework in center field. Unfortunately, his time in Cincinnati saw his work with the bat deteriorate even more as he posted a brutal .161/.235/.194 slash line in 14 games that was good for a wRC+ of just 15. That said, between his strong defense in center field and a much more promising career wRC+ of 92, Bader figures to hit free agency after the season with a chance to land a healthy contract.

Today’s injury news for the Reds isn’t all bad, however. Rookie infielder Matt McLain, who went on the injured list with an oblique strain nearly a month ago, is on the verge of returning per MLB.com. As discussed by Bell, McLain is headed for a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level and figures to play two games there before returning to the major league club, with Tuesday’s game against the Guardians standing as the club’s current target for McLain’s return. Assuming he’s fully healthy, McLain should bolster the club’s lineup in a big way given his .290/.357/.507 slash line in 403 trips to the plate this year.

More from the NL Central…

  • Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman made his first start since July this afternoon, taking the ball against the Rockies at Wrigley Field. Stroman was activated from the injured list earlier this month to join the club’s bullpen and did well in that role, striking out four while allowing only an unearned run on two hits and a walk in three innings of work. Stroman’s return to the rotation left right-hander Javier Assad as the odd man out in the club’s starting plans. That being said, with Stroman not yet fully built up to a starter’s workload, Assad took the ball in relief of the veteran for four scoreless innings today, lowering the youngster’s ERA to 2.88 on the season. With Stroman back in the rotation, Assad figures to be a valuable multi-inning weapon for the Cubs out of the bullpen down the stretch. Chicago has plenty of high leverage opportunities available with Adbert Alzolay, Michael Fulmer, and Brad Boxberger all currently on the injured list.
  • Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor hasn’t played since Wednesday and was once again held out of the lineup today, with manager Craig Counsell indicating to MLB.com that the 29-year-old was dealing with some hamstring tightness. The club has decided to act cautiously rather than risk losing Taylor to an injury that could keep him out of the postseason, though Counsell added that he hopes Taylor will be able to return to the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the Marlins. Taylor was ice cold to start the year, resulting in a lackluster season slash line of just .233/.270/.408 in 210 plate appearances, but he’s been one of Milwaukee’s strongest offensive contributors since the start of August with a scorching hot .291/.341/.581 slash line including 11 doubles, a triple, and seven homers in 126 trips to the plate. Blake Perkins has gotten additional reps in the outfield in recent days with Taylor temporarily shelved.

NL Central Notes: Stroman, Taylor, Reds

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Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has repeatedly stressed his desire to sign a long-term extension with the Cubs, even as he could reach free agency after this season on the heels of a career year. Stroman, who can opt-out of the final one year and $21MM left on his contract at season’s end, has posted a sensational 2.42 ERA (184 ERA+) through 14 starts with a 21.7% strikeout rate that would be the best of his career over a full season while also managing a fantastic 61% groundball rate. Those fantastic numbers figure to make Stroman a worthy addition to any rotation, but Chicago seems uninterested in getting a deal done at the moment. As Stroman himself relayed on Twitter that both he and his agent have made “multiple attempts” to engage the club’s front office in extension negotiations, but the Cubs were uninterested in exploring a deal for the time being.

In a conversation with The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, Stroman elaborated further on the situation, telling Mooney that “We’ve been going to the front office from spring training, very open that I want to be here. We’ve continued those thoughts. Up until now, there’s been nothing from their side. No offers, no talks, really, at all.” Stroman goes on to make clear that there isn’t tension between him and the front office, despite the fact that his camp’s desire for negotiations having been largely rebuffed to this point.

It’s possible that the club’s hesitance has to do with their position in the standings. The club is 28-36, good for fourth place in the NL Central and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. While their weak division does provide them some semblance of hope for contention, it’s nonetheless easy to imagine the Cubs selling for the third straight deadline. If they opted to go down that path, Stroman would likely be their most attractive trade piece. In fact, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic recently identified Stroman as an ideal fit for the Giants as trade season approaches, while noting that San Francisco actually finished second in free agent bidding for Stroman’s services when he signed his current three-year, $71MM deal with Chicago prior to the 2022 campaign.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor is set to receive a cortisone shot in his right elbow, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.) Counsell noted that the injection comes after Taylor received multiple opinions on the elbow sprain that’s kept him on the shelf for the past two weeks. After posting a 106 wRC+ in 250 career games headed into the 2023 campaign, it’s been a brutal season for Taylor, who has slashed just .160/.179/.240 (8 wRC+) while being limited to just 27 games due to the ongoing elbow issues. With Taylor on the shelf, the club has Blake Perkins backing up an outfield trio of Christian Yelich, Joey Wiemer, and Brian Anderson.
  • The Reds are still without their usual starting outfield, even after activating center fielder TJ Friedl from the 10-day injured list yesterrday, as left fielder Jake Fraley was placed on the shelf with a right wrist contusion in a corresponding move. While Friedl is enjoying a career season, with a .315/.365/.479 slash line in 43 games this year, the club is sure to miss the contributions of Fraley nonetheless, who has posted a wRC+ of 114 in 123 games since joining the club prior to the 2022 season. With Fraley on the shelf, the Reds figure to use the likes of Stuart Fairchild and Will Benson in the outfield corners.

Brewers Place Tyrone Taylor, Darin Ruf On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to today’s 10-8 win over the Reds, the Brewers placed outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Darin Ruf on the 10-day injured list.  Taylor (whose placement is retroactive to June 2) is dealing with a right elbow sprain, while Ruf has a laceration on his right knee.  In corresponding moves, Milwaukee called up Blake Perkins from Triple-A, and as reported yesterday, Jon Singleton’s contract was selected from Triple-A.

The new faces delivered today, as Perkins hit a grand slam to help the Brewers score the victory in Cincinnati.  However, losing Taylor and Ruf further thins the Brewers’ depth, as the club now has 14 players (six of them position players) on the injured list.  It isn’t yet known when either player could be back, as Bally Sports’ Sophia Minnaert notes, since Ruf’s laceration is quite severe and Taylor will undergo tests to determine the nature of his elbow problem.

Taylor first sprained his right elbow in late February, which kept him out of action for Spring Training and delayed his 2023 debut until May 2.  Whether due to the lost spring prep time, lingering elbow soreness, or both, Taylor has badly struggled at the plate, hitting only .160/.179/.240 over 78 plate appearances.  It’s a big dropoff for a player who had a solid .241/.303/.453 slash line over 729 PA of part-time duty in 2019-22, and it seemed like Taylor might have been in line for a larger role given the rather unsettled nature of Milwaukee’s outfield.

Ruf just signed the Brew Crew in the middle of May, coming to Milwaukee after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  Stepping into a first base platoon as the right-handed hitting complement to Rowdy Tellez, Ruf also wasn’t hitting much (.531 OPS) over his first 30 PA for Milwaukee before he badly cut his knee during Friday’s game.  Ruf was chasing a foul ball when he collided with the tarp rolled up on the sidelines at the Great American Ballpark.

Brewers Notes: Woodruff, Houser, Taylor

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Brewers GM Matt Arnold told reporters, including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, that ace right-hander Brandon Woodruff’s recent MRI result was “very positive relative to what it could have been.” Arnold went on to note that the club hopes to have Woodruff back on the mound in the majors by the end of June.

Woodruff was diagnosed earlier this month with a Grade 2 subscapular strain in his throwing shoulder, which the club immediately indicated would require a prolonged stint on the injured list. Two weeks later, we have a clearer picture of how long Woodruff will be on the shelf, with the right-hander likely missing about ten weeks of big league action in total if he avoids any setbacks.

One of the game’s best pitchers, the 30-year-old Woodruff has posted a 3.02 ERA and 3.06 FIP in 581 2/3 innings since the start of the 2018 season. He’s been even better since the start of the 2021 season (when he finished top 5 in NL Cy Young award voting) with a 2.72 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 30.1% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate in 344 innings of work. He was off to another great start in 2023 prior to his injury, with just one run allowed in 11 1/3 innings over his two starts.

With Woodruff on the shelf, the Brewers have opted for a rotation of Corbin Burnes, Wade Miley, Freddy Peralta, Eric Lauer, and Colin Rea. It’s possible that group is set to change in the near future, however, as Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that right-hander Adrian Houser is set to be activated from the IL at some point during the club’s coming road trip. His role has yet to be decided, but Hogg speculates that he will be used as a starter, likely taking over Rea’s spot in the rotation.

Houser has spent his entire major league career with the Brewers, posting a 3.97 ERA (106 ERA+) in 428 innings of work in the big leagues. The best season of his career came in 2021, when he posted a 3.22 ERA (128 ERA+) in 142 1/3 innings of work. Houser struggled badly last season, however, posting a 4.73 ERA that clocked in as 17% below league average by measure of ERA+. Still, the 30-year old right-hander is a solid back-end starter who’s also made 30 career appearances out of the bullpen in the majors, and will help to shore up the club’s rotation depth when activated.

Hogg also notes that outfielder Tyrone Taylor is close to returning, and could be in play to return at the beginning of the aforementioned road trip. A second round pick by Milwaukee in the 2012 draft, Taylor has missed the beginning of the 2023 campaign with an elbow strain, but has been a solid option in the outfield for the Brewers for several years now. Since his debut in 2019, has posted a solid 106 wRC+ in 250 career games, including a 102 wRC+ last season, when he played a career high 120 games. Taylor figures to slot back into the Milwaukee outfield upon his return, helping cover for the loss of Garrett Mitchell to shoulder surgery.

Brewers Place Garrett Mitchell On IL With Shoulder Injury

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The Brewers announced that they have placed outfielder Garrett Mitchell on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder subluxation. Fellow outfielder Blake Perkins has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Mitchell, 24, appeared to injure himself while sliding into third base during the 10th inning of last night’s game. He initially stayed in the game but then was removed after making a throw in the bottom of that frame. It’s unclear how long he’ll now be out but he tells reporters, including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that he will get an MRI tomorrow. The results of that imaging will hopefully shed some light on what lies ahead for him.

In the meantime, he’ll miss at least a week and a bit, slowing down a nice start to his career. Between his debut last year and the start to this season, he’s played in 44 major league games so far. Though he’s struck out in 40% of his plate appearances to this point, he also has five home runs, nine stolen bases and a .286/.341/.462 batting line for a 121 wRC+.

This leaves the Brewers down two outfielders, as Tyrone Taylor has been on the IL all year due to a sprained elbow. Rosiak relays that Taylor will soon begin a rehab assignment, but he’ll probably need a decent amount of playing time there since he missed Spring Training. Prospect Sal Frelick wasn’t an option either, with Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relaying that he’s out of action in the minors due to a thumb injury. He’s also not on the 40-man roster and would have required a corresponding move to be added, but it seems the injury has made that a moot point.

Those circumstances have aligned to get Blake Perkins to the big leagues for the first time. The 26-year-old has been toiling away in the minors since being drafted back in 2015, spending time in the systems of the Nationals, Royals and Yankees. With the Yanks last year, he walked in 13.6% of his plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. He finished the year with a combined batting line of .246/.357/.456 and a 120 wRC+. He didn’t get a roster spot and became a free agent at season’s end, with the Brewers then signing him to a major league deal. That gave him a 40-man roster spot for the first time in his career, but he was still able to be optioned to the minors, having hit .292/.370/.417 in 13 Triple-A games so far in 2023. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Without Mitchell, the Brewers will have an outfield mix consisting of Christian Yelich in left and Joey Wiemer likely moving over from right to cover center. Right field could then go to Brian Anderson, who has been playing third base to cover for the injured Luis Urías. That could mean Mike Brosseau gets more time at the hot corner or maybe Owen Miller gets some time in right. Perkins is also capable of playing any of the three outfield spots, allowing him to factor in here and have the other pieces shuffled around as needed.

Injury Notes: Haniger, Taylor, Severino, Rodon, Moore, Trammell

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The Giants have been without offseason signee Mitch Haniger thus far. The veteran outfielder opened the season on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. He tells Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News his recovery timeline was slightly delayed by recent back tightness, which shut him down for around a week (Twitter link). Haniger is back to hitting off a tee now but still a bit off from potentially beginning a minor league rehab assignment.

With Haniger out of action, the Giants have pushed Rule 5 draftee Blake Sabol into left field alongside Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto. Sabol and Roberto Pérez are the only catchers on the active roster. Pérez left this afternoon’s loss to Kansas City with a right shoulder strain (as relayed by Maria Guardado of MLB.com), which could necessitate a roster move if he’s unavailable in the coming days.

In other injury situations around the game:

  • The Brewers lost Tyrone Taylor to a sprained right elbow at the start of Spring Training. Milwaukee announced at the time that Taylor would be sidelined into May. Manager Craig Counsell informed reporters today the outfielder recently had a minor setback and is midway through a week-long shutdown before he resumes a throwing program (via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). It’s unclear to what extent Taylor’s recovery timetable is delayed but it doesn’t seem a significant concern. Milwaukee turned to Brian Anderson in right field with Taylor sidelined. After the Brew Crew lost third baseman Luis Urías to an Opening Day hamstring strain, they moved Anderson to the hot corner and brought up top prospect Joey Wiemer to man right field.
  • Yankees skipper Aaron Boone provided reporters (including Chris Kirschner of the Athletic) an update on a pair of rehabbing pitchers this afternoon. Luis Severino, who has been sidelined by a lat strain, will throw a bullpen session this weekend. Offseason free agent pickup Carlos Rodón will throw a live batting practice session on Monday. Rodón was diagnosed with a mild forearm strain during Spring Training, though the Yankees downplayed any long-term concern.
  • The Mariners provided updates on a pair of injured position players this afternoon (relayed by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Utilityman Dylan Moore and outfielder Taylor Trammell are both going to start participating in extended spring training games at the start of next week. Manager Scott Servais indicated that Moore could potentially return during the club’s April 14-23 homestand. Trammell is further behind, as he fractured the hamate bone in his right wrist in mid-February. That robbed him of any Spring Training reps; Moore also didn’t appear in any exhibition games but he’d done some backfield work before straining his oblique in mid-March.

Brewers’ Tyrone Taylor Out For First Month Of Season

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Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor will miss at least the first month of the season, manager Craig Counsell announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Taylor underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his sprained right elbow and will be shut down from all baseball activity for at least the next three weeks. That’ll wipe out the majority, if not all of the remainder of spring training for the 29-year-old, and he’ll need to build back up to game readiness whenever he’s cleared.

Heading into camp, Taylor looked assured of a roster spot on the heels of last season’s .233/.286/.442 batting line. While the batting average and OBP marks left plenty to be desired, Taylor connected on 17 home runs in just 405 plate appearances, adding in 21 doubles, three triples and three steals as well. Defensively, he was excellent, logging time at all three slots and turning in collectively positive grades in Defensive Runs Saved (6), Ultimate Zone Rating (2.0) and Outs Above Average (6).

Taylor was also slated to be perhaps the lone right-handed bat in the Brewers’ outfield mix. Left fielder Christian Yelich, center fielder Garrett Mitchell and corner outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker all bat from the left side of the dish, as does top prospect Sal Frelick, who tore through three minor league levels in 2022 and now sits on the cusp of the big leagues.

With Taylor sidelined, the Brewers have several options they can explore. Third baseman Brian Anderson could wind up logging more time in right field than initially planned, with Luis Urias manning third base on a regular basis as prospect Brice Turang steps up as the primary option at second base. Milwaukee could also run Winker and Yelich in the corners more regularly, freeing up some extra DH at-bats that would perhaps allow non-roster invitee Luke Voit to make the club. Switch-hitting Blake Perkins, who signed a Major League deal over the winter despite never having appeared in the big leagues, could get a longer look as a possible outfield option, too, given that he’s on the 40-man roster.

Others in camp who stand an increased chance of making the club with Taylor sidelined for at least a month include Tyler Naquin, prospect Joey Wiemer and minor league veterans Skye Bolt and Monte Harrison. All four of Naquin, Wiemer, Bolt and Harrison are non-roster invitees this spring, and all but the lefty-swinging Naquin would give the Brewers another right-handed bat to balance the outfield. (Bolt is a switch-hitter.)

If the Brewers want to look outside the organization, the eventual trade and waiver markets will surely offer some options. It seems unlikely that a month-plus without Taylor would prompt the Brewers to make a relatively large splash for Jurickson Profar, the top remaining free agent. Albert Almora also remains unsigned, and he could be an alternative to add to camp on a potential non-roster deal. Like Taylor, he’s a 29-year-old righty bat capable of playing all three outfield spots.

It’s been a tough start to camp for the Brewers from a health vantage point. Milwaukee will be without left-hander Aaron Ashby until at least mid-May as he works his way through shoulder fatigue, and right-hander Jason Alexander — one of their depth options in the rotation — will also be out for at least a month with shoulder troubles.

NL Central Notes: Taylor, Cubs, Reynolds, Chandler

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Tyrone Taylor’s recovery from an elbow sprain isn’t going as well as hoped, Brewers manager Craig Counsell tells Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The team first revealed Taylor’s injury last week and said Taylor would miss at least the first two weeks of spring games, but a more pessimistic update with games already underway clouds the 28-year-old’s readiness for Opening Day.

“We’re not any closer,” Counsell said. “As we move on here, we’re starting to be concerned for sure because we want to get him started and he’s not doing any baseball activities, and we don’t have any on the horizon.”

Taylor, 29, hit .233/.286/.442 through a career-high 405 plate appearances last season, showing plenty of pop and a good glove across all three outfield spots, which helped to offset an OBP that ranked 181st among the 205 players who tallied at least 400 plate appearances. Taylor’s right-handed bat, on paper anyway, pairs nicely with lefty-swinging outfielders like Christian Yelich, Jesse Winker and Garrett Mitchell. If the club wants to keep a right-handed bat in the outfield mix, offseason signee Brian Anderson could move from third base into right field, freeing some early time for Luis Urias at third base. Prospect Brice Turang could take second base if he makes the team, but Abraham Toro and Owen Miller could also see some time at the keystone.

There’s plenty of versatility for the Brewers to mix-and-match on the roster, which has been a hallmark of their clubs in recent seasons. Milwaukee still hasn’t provided a firm update as to when Taylor might realistically be able to get back into a game, but with Opening Day just over a month away and rehab not progressing well, an IL stint to begin the season is possible.

A few more notes from the division…

  • The Cubs haven’t provided a clear timetable for how long Seiya Suzuki’s strained oblique might keep him out of action — though the injury is notable enough that Suzuki has withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic. However, even in the event of some missed time, free agent Jurickson Profar isn’t a likely option for the Cubs, writes Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. The team is about $8MM shy of the $233MM luxury-tax barrier and doesn’t seem particularly inclined to cross it at this time, per Mooney, who adds that any remaining resources are likelier to be allocated to the bullpen or be earmarked for potential midseason upgrades on the trade market. If the Cubs are still pondering another addition in the bullpen, some of the top names remaining include Zack Britton, Will Smith, Brad Hand and Corey Knebel.
  • Imaging on Matt Reynolds revealed a Grade 1 strain in both of the infielder’s quadriceps muscles, Reds skipper David Bell told reporters (Twitter link). Despite the pair of ailments, Reynolds is only expected to be sidelined for a few days, so he should still be in the running for a bench spot on the Cincinnati roster to begin the season. The 32-year-old appeared in a career-high 93 games for the Reds in 2022 and slashed .246/.320/.332 in 272 plate appearances while appearing at every position on the diamond other than catcher.
  • Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler has been told that he will strictly be a pitcher this year, per Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline. A third round draft pick in 2021, he’s been playing both sides of the ball so far in his professional career. He tossed 41 1/3 innings in the minors last year with a 2.61 ERA, striking out 34.7% of batters faced while walking 16.2%. At the plate, however, he hit just .196/.331/.382, walking in 16.1% of his trips to the plate but getting punched out 33.1% of the time. It seems a return to hitting down the line hasn’t been ruled out, but he’ll focus on his mound work for the time being.
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