Injuries are part of the game, but that doesn’t make them any easier to deal with. Former second round pick of the Astros, Andrew Taylor, has dealt with his share early in his professional career.
Taylor, who was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft after a standout career at Central Michigan University, put together a really strong first full-season in the Astros system in 2023. The right-hander, who was only 21-years-old at the time, pitched the full season for the Single-A Woodpeckers and struck out 126 batters over 84 innings. Coincidentally enough, it was the exact same number of innings and strikeouts from his 2022 season at Central Michigan.
In 2024, Taylor started the season in High-A Asheville. Unfortunately, Taylor only pitched in five games before going on the IL with an undisclosed elbow injury.
“Just something I had dealt with in college and it reappeared in Spring Training and then came back during the first couple weeks of the year,” Taylor said.
Heading into last year, Taylor was seen as a potential prospect who could move up the rankings as he made his way to the upper minors. With the season ending injury, the move up never came to fruition.
“It was definitely tough knowing I could work myself up there,” Taylor said. “I was just trusting in the Lord and what his timing was. It was really a time to deepen my faith so I wasn’t too bent out of shape about it.”
The one bright side to a long term injury like this is players get the chance to reflect and really work on different things that the normal routine wouldn’t allow them to do.
“I learned a lot about low, medium and high intent days,” Taylor said. Mainly how you have to keep your low days low and your high days high. Low days are minimal throwing and very low effort physical stress on your body. I also learned with high intent days to do the most you can fit it everything because your body is already stressed out.”
After a season of rehab and getting right, Taylor is now healthy and ready for the 2025 season. The potential of the 6’5″ right hander is definitely still there.
“Goals I have are to just trust the process honestly,” Taylor said. “Gaining velocity would be a specific thing that I’m working on. Another thing is going back to the old ‘AT’ and throwing my fastball more to get more swing and miss all around the zone.”
While this doesn’t factor in for him, some Astros fans have taken note that Taylor was selected with the compensation pick from Carlos Correa signing with the Twins. If Taylor reaches that potential, it would make it that much sweeter.
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