Chris Taylor Retires After 12-Year MLB Career

Chris Taylor, a versatile and clutch performer who won two World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, retired on May 22, 2026, ending a 12-year Major League career. The 35-year-old was playing for the Angels' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City, where a recent plate appearance ended after he was hit by a pitch. The transaction was recorded in the MiLB.com transaction log.

Taylor’s career began in 2014 with the Seattle Mariners, who selected him from the University of Virginia in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. In June 2016, the Mariners traded him to the Dodgers for relief pitcher Zach Lee, a swap that Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto later called “the worst deal I ever made.” Taylor made an immediate impact in Los Angeles, emerging in 2017 with a .288 batting average, 21 home runs, and 34 doubles over 140 games. That postseason, he shared National League Championship Series MVP honors with Justin Turner after helping the Dodgers reach their first World Series since 1988.

Over his 10 seasons in Dodger blue, Taylor slashed .250/.330/.451 with 108 home runs and 423 RBI in 1,007 regular-season games. But his reputation was forged in October. He hit...