46 Beau Taylor C

Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Taylor appeared in eight games for Oakland, hitting .211 but grabbing a pair of home runs. He's no longer needed as the backup catcher with Chris Herrmann returning from knee surgery.

Taylor went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a win over the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Taylor squared up on an Adam Wainwright offering in the fourth inning to snap a scoreless deadlock. It was the backup catcher's second career homer and gave him a round tripper in each of his last two starts. Despite the recent production, Taylor's big-league tenure could soon come to an end with veteran Chris Herrmann (knee) appearing to be close to activation from his season-long stay on the injured list.

Taylor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 16-2 rout of the Orioles.

His third-inning shot off Gabriel Ynoa was one of six Oakland homers on the night, but it was Taylor's first in the major leagues. He'll likely continue to draw one in every three starts or so as Josh Phegley's backup until the A's get healthier behind the plate.

Taylor is likely to remain on the Athletics' roster after Saturday's doubleheader against the Rangers as Nick Hundley was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It initially seemed as though Taylor might be up for just one day in order to make sure someone could back up Josh Phegley for the nightcap, but he'll be needed for longer than that. The 29-year-old hit .297/.450/.492 in 38 games for Triple-A Las Vegas but is unlikely to play often unless Phegley also gets injured.

Taylor will be called up for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The Athletics will use their extra man on a catcher after Nick Hundley left the afternoon game with back spasms. The severity of Hundley's injury (and by extension, whether or not Taylor will remain on the roster) remains to be seen. Taylor appeared in seven games for Oakland last season and has a 297/.450/.492 slash line in 38 games for Triple-A Las Vegas this year.

Taylor was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Taylor got a taste of big-league action in 2018, going 1-for-5 with a double and a walk in seven games. After being dismissed from major-league camp, he's slated to begin the 2019 season with Triple-A Las Vegas.

Taylor re-signed Monday with the Athletics on a minor-league contract, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The contract likely includes an invitation to big-league spring training, though the 28-year-old is a long shot to crack to the Opening Day roster. Taylor will most likely be destined for the Athletics' Pacific Coast League affiliate in Las Vegas after slashing .248/.360/.348 across 431 plate appearances at Triple-A Nashville in 2018.

Taylor was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

Taylor will be removed from the 40-man roster heading into the offseason. He spent seven games with the big-league squad in 2018, going 1-for-5 with a double and a walk over that stretch.

Taylor's contract was purchased by the Athletics on Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Taylor has spent the entire 2018 season at Triple-A Nashville, where he has a .248/.360/.348 slash line with 89 strikeouts in 302 at-bats. The 28-year-old is unlikely to see many opportunities behind the plate if Jonathan Lucroy and Josh Phegley remain healthy over the final month of the regular season.

Taylor is a candidate to be called up from Triple-A Nashville with Bruce Maxwell unable to travel with the team to Canada for an upcoming four-game series against the Blue Jays due to his pending legal issue, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Maxwell is yet to be sentenced for an Oct. 2017 incident that originally involved a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Although the reserve backstop reached a plea agreement on April 13, his pending sentencing leaves him ineligible to enter Canada due to their immigration policy. As a result, Taylor, who's slashing .286/.415/.364 with no home runs and 11 RBI over 25 games with Triple-A Nashville, is one potential candidate to fill in behind starter Jonathan Lucroy. If he's called up, Taylor, who's impressed with improved defense recently, would likely be looking at a 10-day stay with the big-league club at a minimum, as Maxwell would be required to spend at least that much time with the Sounds if he's sent down.

Taylor finalized a minor-league contract with Oakland on Tuesday.

Coming off a year in which he was suspended for 50 games, Taylor impressed in limited opportunities. He hit .309/.385/.485 at Double-A Midland before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville, where he finished the year. He will likely start next season at Triple-A.

Taylor has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for an amphetamine, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

A fifth-round pick in 2011, Taylor has continually hit the proverbial wall at Double-A -- he's spent parts of five seasons at that level. He showed some positive signs in 2016, batting .280/.383/.398 in 95 games, but this suspension will set him back and likely hurt his standing within the organization.