After an eight year stint in the minor leagues Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor wasn’t about to let a severe elbow injury truncate his stay in the show.
The veteran minor league prospect was called up in 2019 after spending seven years of self doubt on the farm which gave him the resilience to press through surgery and rehab as he waited for his chance to claim a spot in the talented Brewers outfield.
Taylor Was A Highly-Touted Draft Pick
Taylor was Milwaukee’s second round pick in the 2012 draft and was expected to be on the fast track to the big club.
However, the Brewers were an organization that was loaded with outfielders at the time, especially in the majors.
MLBbros, Eric Thames and Lorenzo Cain, had already proven themselves while Ryan Braun appeared to be on the verge of becoming an endorsement magnet.
With his path to the Brewers moving at a snail’s pace, things began to look bleak for what had previously been a lifetime prospect.
After two years struggling in the minors at the AA level, Taylor’s baseball odyssey appeared to be coming to an end. He could see the light of reality at the end of the tunnel signaling the bullpen doors were opening on his career while recovering from a leg injury in 2017.
“I was contemplating giving it up,” said Taylor. “I had started school and had [other] things going just in case. But I’m glad I stuck with it because look at where I am right now.”
Taylor’s Career Revival In 2019
By 2019 his major league dreams came to fruition when one of his future teammates went down with an injury.
Taylor got the call to the show from Milwaukee’s Director of Minor Leagues Tom Flanagan, when Braun went down with injury.
“The call came while I was sitting on the sofa watching Netflix with my family,” said Taylor. “That made it all the more special because of all that I’ve been through and to share with them added to that moment.”
However, Taylor’s major league career seemed to hit a slight pothole this February during the early part of spring training when his right elbow started giving him problems.
He wasn’t available to play because of the constant discomfort and there were the red flags that brought his durability into question.
The 29-year-old outfielder was sidelined in February after what initially was diagnosed as a right elbow sprain.
Taylor went the aggressive route with his treatment opting for platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment. However, the injury was slow to respond.
Taylor has had to shut things down twice already this season with was diagnosed as a right elbow sprain.
He missed 28 games between March 29 while on the IL. As the injury was slow to heal he went back on the IL May 1 with but got more aggressive with his treatment the second time and was out for another 34.
He got a cortisone shot on June 4 and went on a rehab assignment June 29. During his seven games with the Brewers AAA affiliate Nashville Sounds, he went 7-for-28 with three home runs, one double, seven RBI, and three walks.
He played four games on his minor league rehab assignment at the Brewers Triple-A affiliate Nashville where he posted a pedestrian slash line of .235/.278/.412 with no homers, three RBI and a six-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 at-bats, according to Rotowire.
Those questions about his health remain with Taylor even though he figures to have a roster spot locked up with Milwaukee through the rest of the season.
Now he just keeps putting in the work so that he is ready to play when the time is called.
“It’s something I’ve been dealing with since last season,” Taylor said. “I got the PRP injection during spring training and it helped a good amount. The rehab is hard but I’m glad to be here right now.“
Recent Comments