Dodgers’ Chris Taylor is relieved that left knee bruise is not considered serious

The Dodgers, already smarting from injuries to shortstop Corey Seager and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, got a fright Wednesday when outfielder Chris Taylor slipped crossing first base in the first inning and had to come out of the game.

Afterward, a relieved Taylor said trainers told him it was only a left knee bruise and he expects to be in the lineup Friday in Colorado.

“It just scared me more than anything,” Taylor said. “I slipped off the bag and kind of jammed it a little bit. I think it was more precautionary ... taking me out there.

“Nothing serious. Just slight soreness.”

Taylor, batting .287 with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs, came up lame after trying to beat out an infield grounder. He reached on an error.

Manager Dave Roberts came out to check on Taylor, who took a few sprints along the right-field line and elected to stay in the game. But when Seager, who is battling a sore elbow, followed with a walk, Roberts sent Curtis Granderson in to run for Taylor.

“Fortunately, it was more of a scare when you see your center fielder and leadoff hitter hobbling and you don’t if it’s the ankle or if it’s the knee,” Roberts said. “Initial evaluation said it was a bone-bruise-type thing.”

Unwelcome rest

After Sunday’s regular-season finale in Colorado, the Dodgers will return home for a four-day break, matching their longest of the season, before opening the NLDS.

Roberts said a long break can be challenging for a team in a sport that relies on timing and repetition.

“That’s the way the schedule was made out, and with that guys have to go prepare accordingly,” he added.

Roberts said the Dodgers will play simulated games, take live batting practice and go through regular workouts, something the team didn’t do during the four-day All-Star break in July.

The team won its first five games after that pause.

Roberts also said he would begin trimming the roster from the current 39 players to something closer to the playoff limit of 25 in the coming days.

“We have some guys we’re thinking about, but we haven’t have those conversations,” Roberts said.

Short hops

Roberts said neither Yu Darvish nor Alex Wood would pitch in the final regular-season series in Colorado. Left-hander Hyun Jin-Ryu, who took a line drive off his left forearm in his last start on Saturday, is scheduled to pitch Friday and Clayton Kershaw will make an abbreviated start Saturday.

Roberts said he had not chosen a starter for Sunday but said he plans to empty his bullpen.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

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