Dodgers’ Dino Ebel Believes Chris Taylor Will ‘Rise to Occasion’ Despite Struggles This Year

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor was awarded a rare start on Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds and showed signs of improvement as his batting average eclipsed .100 for the first time since April 1. He made his second straight start on Saturday also.

Friday was his second start in the last 17 games. He batted seventh, played left field, and drove in two runs on a double to deep center field. He finished the night 1-for-4 but more importantly, third base coach Dino Ebel believes Taylor is beginning to break out of his season-long slump.

“I think he’s going to be good because he comes out here, he does the grind every day,” Ebel told Dodgers Nation Doug McKain. “He hasn’t changed his routine. It’s just one of those things that he’s in. He’s mentally tough. He’s just gonna have to catch a break here and there and what he does, he comes out and works. So we need Chris, you know, he’s a big moment player. He can step in the box and change the game. I know the Chris Taylor that we have here. I think the fans know it. He’ll rise to the occasion when the lights come on. “

Taylor has a long history of being clutch for the Dodgers but only has seven hits this season. However, a positive sign is that three of those hits have been in his last seven games and six hits come in the last 15 games.

After Saturday night’s game, Taylor is batting just .101 with zero home runs and seven runs batted in.

Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!