(Queen might not have been touring at the time, but they were recording things for 'Innuendo' roughly during the same time when the Smoke on the Water single for Rock Aid Armenia was recorded [in 5 sessions from July 8th 1989 onwards] - just as an aside.)
But, generally it's exactly the down-time that causes more injuries than regular touring & recording! because your hands get soft when you don't play. And it's anybody's guess really how much drumming Roger was actually doing apart from the scheduled studio sessions during that time...
Historically, Roger's hands were in a pretty bad shape without regular rehearsing. E.g. during Queen's 1974 USA tour:
[...] If you said Taylor attacks his drums with a blistering intensity, you wouldn’t be far off. One of the consequences of his inability to practice in his home has been his perennial victimisation by the traditional drummer’s malady - blisters.
He’s been plagued by the sores on both of Queen’s American tours, and the sight of his bloody nubs has been shocking enough to send roadies scurrying feverishly about in search of bandages and healing ointments.
“I’ve really had a lot of trouble,” he confesses. “Blood everywhere and a lot of bandages. It’s a really intense stage act. It’s in no way laid back. It’s pretty high energy, and yeah, it’s pretty hard on the hands. At the beginning of a tour, especially if we haven’t been playing for awhile, your hands tend to soften up. It’s just a case of hardening them. After two or three weeks they harden up pretty well.
At the beginning of the last tour it was really bad because we did a lot of double shows. That was tearing my hands to bits. I know a few other guys who get a lot trouble like that. Bonham tears his hands to shreds. The only way to get over it is to practice like hell two weeks before you come over to do a tour. Just keep playing all the time.” [...]
– Roger Taylor interviewed by Frank Rose for Circus Raves, September 1975 issue ("Roger Meddows-Taylor: his hands are soft but his beat is hard")
There are some photos of minor injuries during later tours too, e.g.:
📸: Michael Ochs archives / Gettyimages
^January 1977: Roger photographed applying liquid bandage onto his fingers
📸: Music Life / Shinko Music
^ April 1979: Roger presenting his blistered hands while being interviewed for Music Life
TL:DR - So my personal guess is that these injuries in '89 stem from inactivity & the intensity of his drumming :)
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