Dodgers: Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor Creating Good Problem to Have
Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor have been impressive since returning from injury on Tuesday. Hernandez is batting .333 with a walk-off hit — on his bobblehead night — to his credit. And Taylor is batting .500 with a home run and 3 runs batted in while playing all over the field.
Look at the joy from Kikè! Look at the joy from his teammates!!!
What a team!!!!!! #DodgersWalkoff #DodgersWin
?@dodgers pic.twitter.com/HyAS7fSElD
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 23, 2019
Both players had been hot when they hit the IL, and thankfully, they came back without skipping a beat.
It’s great to see Kiké and Taylor playing well and contributing to the team since returning from injury, but what could this mean for guys like Kristopher Negrón and Jedd Gyorko? Or even Tyler White?
Negrón was living a fantasy early in his Dodger career. He hit 2 home runs in his first few games, and seemingly kept getting hits. Of course, he slowed down a bit and is now sitting on a .250 average while on the IL for neck stiffness.
As for Jedd Gyorko, the Dodgers acquired him prior to the trade deadline. He had been out since June 8th, with various injuries. So far, Gyorko has struggled with Los Angeles, which is understandable, considering he has not played for over 2 months. He’s had only 2 hits in 10 at-bats.
Tyler White is 1-22 with the Dodgers and will not figure into postseason consideration, if he even makes it that far.
Analysis
There are a lot of bodies for only a few spots on the eventual postseason roster. As rosters expand in September, playing time will be scarce, but these guys will have their opportunities.
It will take time for Gyorko to get back into a groove, and at the rate Kiké and Taylor are going, Gyorko is not likely be included on the 25-man postseason roster. As for Negrón, he will have a month to prove what he can bring to this team, that will differentiate from Taylor’s game, as an outfielder. Taylor is versatile, as he can play in the infield as well, so it will be tough for Dave Roberts to include Negrón in the postseason roster, if he can’t prove that he can bring something unique to the team, such as playing multiple positions efficiently.
As long as they stay healthy, Kiké and CT3 aren’t going anywhere.