The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered an injury scare in their 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Third baseman Max Muncy was hit in the right wrist by an Aaron Ashby pitch in the eighth inning and immediately left the game.
The Dodgers can exhale a little bit, as it appears that Muncy avoided a serious injury. Manager Dave Roberts informed reporters, including Maddie Lee of the LA Times, that initial X-rays on his wrist are negative.
Muncy plays a key role in the Dodgers’ lineup, especially against right-handers. The left-handed-hitting slugger is putting up a .263/.366/.525 slash with a club-leading 12 home runs and a 150 wRC+ on the season entering play on May 22.
Max Muncy Relieved to Avoid Serious Injury
With initial X-rays coming back negative, it’s more likely to be a day-to-day injury than one that would keep him out for weeks. The Dodgers can’t afford for one of their top hitters to miss that much time.
Following the game, he spoke to reporters.
“It is a relief,” said Muncy. “We always got to monitor the next couple of days. Typically, especially in that area, the X-rays never come back positive immediately.”
Muncy said that the pitch got about half wrist pad and half the wrist. The Dodgers’ third baseman said it might have saved him from a more serious injury. He compared this situation to the broken wrist injury he suffered in the 2019 season.
“I’ve been hit in that spot before, I’ve broken that spot before. The biggest thing I took for me from that was the nauseous feeling that you get, and I didn’t quite have that tonight. So that’s why I’m feeling optimistic.”
Assuming no further setbacks, Muncy should avoid a lengthy injured list stint. However, it’s unclear when he’ll be well enough to be back in the lineup. But that unit of time will be measured in days, not weeks.
Muncy’s 152 wRC+ is the highest mark among hitters on the team with at least 140 plate appearances vs. right-handed pitchers. Nine of his 12 home runs have come while holding the platoon advantage.
Dodgers Infield Situation with Max Muncy on the Mend
While the Dodgers have avoided the worst-case scenario, Muncy could miss the next couple of games. The club has to wait for the swelling on their third baseman’s right wrist to calm down. There will likely be follow-up imaging to ensure that the wrist doesn’t have any hairline fractures that might have been missed on the initial X-rays.
They may have to lean on utility infielder Santiago Espinal for some starts at third base. The Dodgers renegotiated Espinal’s contract, which includes an advanced consent clause, when they activated Mookie Betts from the injured list earlier in the month. That’s a move that has worked out for the club.
Miguel Rojas is a possible option, although the Dodgers have deployed the veteran infielder mostly at shortstop and second base. He’s in a platoon at second base with the left-handed-hitting Hyeseong Kim.
The Dodgers will also be playing with essentially a three-man bench while Muncy’s wrist recovers. That leaves them with Rojas, outfielder Alex Call, and backup catcher Dalton Rushing.
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