Taylor has slashed only .200/.279/.267 over 31 games with the big club this season. The Royals haven't yet announced a corresponding move, but Nick Pratto (groin/hip) is expected back from the 10-day injured list any day.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Logs steal in loss
Rotowire
Taylor went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics.
Taylor had gone 0-for-9 at the plate across six games dating back to Aug. 6, though he's more often served as a late-game replacement recently. The 25-year-old is up to eight steals this season while slashing .185/.274/.241 with four RBI and 10 runs scored over 63 plate appearances. He'll continue to be an option at second base and in the outfield, but he's unlikely to command a starting role down the stretch.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Picks up sixth steal
Rotowire
Taylor went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 9-2 win over the Mets.
Five of Taylor's six steals in the majors this year have come over his last five games. The Royals are still trying to balance playing time among a number of young players and prospects, with Taylor getting looks at second base and in left field. Michael Massey, MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel appear to be most at risk of losing time if Taylor gets in the lineup more regularly.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Logs two steals in win
Rotowire
Taylor went 2-for-3 with a double, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets.
Michael Massey is expected to benefit the most from Nicky Lopez getting traded to Atlanta, but it was Taylor getting a start at second base Tuesday. The 25-year-old made the most of the opportunity with his first career multi-hit game. Taylor is up to five steals over 16 contests, and he's added three RBI, five runs scored and a 6:11 BB:K through 44 plate appearances.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Back in majors
Rotowire
The Royals recalled Taylor from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
With Nick Pratto (groin) landing on the injured list Friday, Taylor will come up from the minors to give Kansas City additional depth in the infield. Taylor's MLB numbers haven't been great since he debuted in June, but he's been scorching hot at Omaha in July, slashing .378/.545/.541 with eight steals in 12 games.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Picks up second steal
Rotowire
Taylor went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Tigers.
This was Taylor's first game action since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on July 9. The versatile 25-year-old started in left field Monday, but he's often served as a reserve option while in the majors this season. He's batting just .152 with two stolen bases, three RBI and three runs scored through 41 plate appearances.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Sent down to Triple-A
Rotowire
Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.
Taylor is a talented prospect but hasn't found his footing during his short time in the majors, sporting just a .427 OPS in 13 contests. He's clearing out to make room for Edward Olivares' return.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Makes return to majors
Rotowire
The Royals recalled Taylor from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.
Taylor will be back for his second stint of the season with the Royals after he previously went 4-for-30 over a stretch of 12 games from June 17 to July 2 before he was sent back to Omaha. The rookie will likely see most of his playing time against left-handed pitching while he rejoins the 26-man active roster as a replacement for outfielder Edward Olivares (oblique), who was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Sent down to Triple-A
Rotowire
Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.
The writing had been on the wall, as Taylor's opportunities had become more and more scarce lately. Taylor batted just .133/.270/.133 during his first go-round in the big leagues and now will head back to Omaha, where he'll receive more seasoning and regular at-bats.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: On bench again Monday
Rotowire
Taylor is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.
After getting his first big-league call-up July 16, Taylor proceeded to start in seven of his first 10 games with the Royals, but his opportunities have since become more limited. In the subsequent seven contests, Taylor has started in just three times, and he'll head into Monday's series opener with a .133/.270/.133 slash line through his first 38 plate appearances in the majors. Given his struggles in addition to the fact that his playing time has been trending down, Taylor could soon be headed back to Triple-A Omaha.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: On bench for series opener
Rotowire
Taylor is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians.
Since his June 16 call-up from Triple-A, Taylor had started in left field or at second base in seven of the Royals' last 10 games, but he'll take a seat as Kansas City faces rookie right-hander Gavin Williams in the series opener with Cleveland. With Kyle Isbel (hamstring) returning from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Taylor's opportunities in left field could become more scarce moving forward, but Taylor should continue to battle Nicky Lopez for playing time at the keystone. With a .470 OPS through his first 28 big-league plate appearances, Taylor hasn't yet made a case for being a fixture in the lineup.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Snags first steal
Rotowire
Taylor went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Rays.
The speedy rookie racked up 34 steals in 62 games with Triple-A Omaha this season, but this was his first big-league theft. The 24-year-old has been up with the Royals for a week, going 3-for-17 with three walks, four strikeouts, two RBI and three runs scored over five contests. Taylor hasn't done enough for an everyday job, but he continues to fill in at second base and left field. He should have at least a short-side platoon role at the keystone while Michael Massey (hand) is out.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Promoted to big leagues
Rotowire
The Royals recalled Taylor from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
After slashing .301/.407/.460 through 291 plate appearances in Triple-A, Taylor will crack the big leagues for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old second baseman has proved to be a major threat on the basepaths with 34 steals already this season. Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Not in lineup Friday
Rotowire
Taylor is not in the lineup Friday versus the Angels.
Taylor got called up from Triple-A Omaha on Friday afternoon, but his MLB debut may have to wait until later this weekend unless he comes off the bench Friday. The speedy 24-year-old could be an intriguing fantasy prospect if there's a regular role for him in Kansas City. He was sporting a .304/.409/.463 slash line with six homers and 34 steals through 62 games this season at Triple-A.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.
Taylor will head to Omaha to start the 2023 campaign after appearing in 10 spring training contests, producing a .400 average with two homers, seven RBI, five runs and three stolen bases over 20 at-bats. After the impressive showing in the Cactus League, the 24-year-old certainly increased his chances of getting his first major-league call-up at some point this season. Considering Taylor can play both the infield and the outfield, he seems likely to be a long-term option for Kansas City.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Steals home Wednesday
Rotowire
Taylor went 1-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's Cactus League win over the Rockies.
Taylor didn't start the contest, but he made a strong impact. One of his steals came in the ninth inning when he stole home for the Royals' fifth run of the frame. The 24-year-old is 3-for-9 over four spring games so far, and he's showing off his speed with a triple and two steals to go with two RBI. He's logged 123 steals over his last four minor-league seasons, though he didn't play with Triple-A Omaha following his trade from the Blue Jays' organization as part of the Whit Merrifield trade last summer. Taylor faces an uphill battle for a major-league job in 2023, but solid contact hitting and flashes of speed could at least earn him a bench spot at some point.
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Royals' Samad Taylor: Kansas City selects contract
Rotowire
Taylor had his contract selected from Triple-A Omaha by the Royals on Thursday.
The 24-year-old was acquired at the trade deadline from Toronto as part of the return for Whit Merrifield. Taylor played in 70 games at Triple-A last season and had a .258/.337/.426 slash line with nine home runs, 45 RBI and 23 steals.
Royals' Samad Taylor: Going to KC in Merrifield return
Rotowire
Taylor was traded from the Blue Jays to the Royals on Tuesday along with Max Castillo in exchange for Whit Merrifield, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Taylor is a likely utility player, but he could get more of a look with the Royals than he would have in Toronto. The 24-year-old second baseman hit .258/.337/.426 with nine home runs and 23 steals in 70 games this year at Triple-A.
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Blue Jays' Samad Taylor: Breakout year in Double-A
Rotowire
Taylor is hitting .318/.398/.617 with 12 homers, 30 RBI, 16 steals and 41 runs across 41 games for Double-A New Hampshire.
A former 10th-round pick by Cleveland, the 22-year-old Taylor has largely flown under the radar in the minors. He stole 44 bags for Class-A Lansing in 2018, but this power is new -- he's already hit more homers this year than in any previous season. As is the trend in baseball today, it's clear he's selling out a little to do that, as his strikeout rate is up too and his typically excellent walk rate is down a bit. Taylor's .420 BABIP suggests his average will come down, but his positional versatility and well-rounded skill set point to a future as a solid -- and potentially fantasy-relevant -- utility player.
