Tyrone Taylor Shines Despite Injury

Tyrone Taylor has been dealing with a noticeable cut on his hand for the past couple of weeks, which his teammate Brandon Nimmo described as a “crater.” This injury seemed to be healing until the sixth inning on Thursday.

But Taylor seems to be okay with the trade-offs involved in playing through injuries. During the Mets’ recent 4-3 win against the Nationals at Citi Field, he made some impressive defensive plays, including a spectacular catch of a shot from Lewis Garcia Jr.

“I knew the wind was blowing right to left, so I definitely felt there was a chance,” Taylor recalled about the catch, which had him leaping and landing hard on the warning track.

This catch adds to Taylor’s growing list of defensive highlights. He’s been stepping up as a backup, especially now that most of the team’s regulars at center field are sidelined due to injuries. The catch marked his third out, allowing him to leave a runner stranded on base. It’s quite remarkable, really.

Coach Carlos Mendoza noted how impressive Taylor’s ability to close gaps and make such daring plays has been. He mentioned, “It’s not the first time he’s seen it, but to do something like that shows he’s elite in that regard.” It’s almost like an instinct for him at this point.

When asked about his favorite catch of the season, Taylor just shrugged it off. “I love all of them, man,” he said. “Whatever I do to help the team win, it fires me up, and I know it fires the guys up too.” There’s a genuine enthusiasm in his words that feels refreshing.

As for team logistics, Mendoza hasn’t made any firm decisions about starting Paul Blackburn next in the rotation, especially with all the uncertainties surrounding Kodai Senga’s health. Nevertheless, he ruled out any impact on Frankie Montas’s recovery timeline due to Senga’s recent setback with hamstring issues.

Montas is set to start a rehabilitation stint with Triple-A Syracuse, which could be extended if he isn’t quite ready. Mendoza commented, “We’re not in a hurry,” referring to both Montas and Senga’s situations. With a holiday break on Monday, Mendoza might even push back Senga’s return until next Friday in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Juan Soto had quite a day, reaching the bases twice and stealing two bases. Over his last 13 games, he has been on fire, boasting a .386/.542/.818 stat line, complete with five home runs and ten RBIs. He’s currently perfect in stolen base attempts this season, sitting at 8-8. Quite the feat, I must say.