Outfielder Michael A. Taylor, 28, and infielder Wilmer Difo, 27, both earned player of the week awards in their final days at the minor league level. With Triple-A Fresno, Difo was named Pacific Coast League player of the week Tuesday, and Taylor earned the same honor last week in the Double-A Eastern League.
The veterans gladly traded in those laurels to aid the Nationals, a team that especially needs reinforcements in the outfield.
Taylor and Difo were part of Washington playoff teams in 2016 and 2017. Now they will get to aid another postseason push after being called up from the minors Tuesday. The Nationals hold the top spot in the NL wild card race.
“Both have been here before. They get it,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It is going to take more than 25 guys to get this done.”
Taylor has been mostly a center fielder, but got a chance to play right in nine games with Harrisburg. There could be a need there for Washington, as regular right fielder Adam Eaton was out of the starting lineup again Wednesday. Veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra made the start in right Tuesday and Wednesday.
Eaton was hit with a pitch near the knee last week against the Orioles and has a bad bone bruise, Martinez said.
Taylor is a standout defender who used to be the Nationals’ regular center fielder. He is also fast, with 24 steals in 30 attempts last year for Washington and 75 in 96 tries in his major league career.
But he has struggled with a high strikeout percentage and was hitting just .211 in the majors this year in 76 at-bats when he was sent down to Harrisburg in June.
He got to play on a regular basis there and hit .248 with nine homers and 10 steals in 57 games.
“I started to feel pretty comfortable at the plate,” Taylor said. “It was great to play, get at-bats and be on the field. I was able to get my rhythm back a little bit. It was a good opportunity.”
Taylor has always been a team-first player who flourished under former manager Dusty Baker, who was let go after the 2017 season. Now the Florida native wants to contribute for Martinez.
“Any way I can, whether it is on defense or on the bases or at the plate,” Taylor said.
Difo, who hit .300 at Fresno, is also quick and can play second, short and third. Martinez said he may also take some balls in the outfield just in case.
“He is another guy who can come off the bench and pinch-run,” Martinez said.
Top prospect Carter Kieboom (.303, 16 home runs), like Difo, was an infielder on the 40-man roster at Fresno. The Triple-A team ended its season Monday, but Martinez said Kieboom will head to the team’s spring training facility in Florida and continue to work out in case he is needed down the stretch.
The Nationals begin a four-game series Thursday in Atlanta against the first-place Braves. Stephen Strasburg (16-5, 3.47) will pitch for the Nationals against Atlanta lefty Max Fried (15-4, 4.05).
“It is always nice when you are in a playoff face, to play games that matter,” Taylor said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.