Dave Roberts Expressed Gratitude For Chris Taylor Before Changing Mind On Retirement

4 Min Read

Chris Taylor appeared to end his career by retiring at the start of the weekend, but that no longer is the case.

According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, Taylor instead is on the Minor League injured list after suffering a fractured left forearm.

“He’s had a great career. He got everything out of his ability, he was a great teammate, I was fortunate enough to coach him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA when at the time it was believed Taylor retired. “I hope he, Mary and the kids can ride off into the sunset. Does a lot of stuff with their foundation. He was a joy. A complete pro.”

Taylor made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners but became an everyday player for the Los Angeles Dodgers before spending parts of the last two years with the Los Angeles Angels. Overall, Taylor has played in in parts of 12 MLB seasons.

Taylor’s emergence with the Dodgers will forever be remembered as one of the highlights under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. The Dodgers traded former pitching prospect Zach Lee to the Mariners in order to acquire Taylor in June 2016.

Lee’s career failed to pan out, while Taylor went on to become an All-Star and two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers.

Taylor’s breakout season came in 2017, when he hit .288/.354/.496 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI, 85 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, a 126 wRC+ and 4.5 WAR. Taylor shared co-MVP honors with Justin Turner in the National League Championship Series that year and helped the Dodgers reach the World Series for the first time since 1988.

The Dodgers signed Taylor to a four-year, $60 million contract hours before the MLB lockout began in December 2021. At the time it appeared to be a bargain deal, but Taylor’s production waned over his final years with the team.

Taylor’s 87 games played in 2024 were his fewest in a full season with the Dodgers. But even as his role changed and success dropped off, Roberts continued to praise Taylor for his work ethic and maintained confidence in the veteran.

Taylor similarly expressed his gratitude for the Dodgers organization after getting released in May 2025. Over parts of 10 seasons with the team, Taylor appeared in 1,007 games and hit .250/.330/.431 with 184 doubles, 30 triples 108 home runs, 423 RBI and 480 runs scored.

By finishing the 2025 season with the Angels, Taylor reached the impressive milestone of 10 years in Major League service time.

Dave Roberts remembers Chris Taylor’s NLCS catch

One of Taylor’s more memorable highlights with the Dodgers was a sliding catch in Game 7 of the NLCS in 2018. Taylor’s grab came against the Brewers in the same stadium where the Dodgers are currently playing, though at the time it was still called Miller Park.

“I didn’t think about it today, but man, worlds would’ve been different if he hadn’t made that play,” Roberts answered when asked if being in Milwaukee during Taylor’s announcement brought back memories of the game-saving catch.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Executive Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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