The Los Angeles Dodgers finished their road trip without Max Muncy available for the final two games after he was hit by a pitch in the right wrist.
The incident occurred during the eighth inning of the series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Muncy let out an audible yell and was immediately removed from the game. An X-ray came back negative but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Muncy would not be in the lineup for the remainder of the series at American Family Field.
Max Muncy missing another game
The suggestion was Muncy could potentially return to the lineup when the Dodgers start their homestand on Monday, but he’s now expected to miss a third game.
“I think for me, we were resolved to not having him available this weekend. So my expectation is that he’s getting a little bit better today and [Monday] maybe swing a bat to see,” Roberts said before the Dodgers won the rubber match of their series against the Brewers.
“But I don’t expect him in the lineup [Monday] either.”
Santiago Espinal started at third base on Saturday, and Miguel Rojas received an opportunity Sunday.
What’s next for Muncy?
Along with ruling Muncy out of the final two games against the Brewers, Roberts initially suggested he would potentially undergo a CT scan on his right wrist once the team was back in Los Angeles. That may still be the case, but the Dodgers aren’t moving forward with that just yet.
“I don’t necessarily know if we’re past that, but I don’t think we’re going to do it [Monday]. I think his improvement from yesterday to today, speaks to we’ll kind of kick the can on that one,” Roberts said after the game on Sunday.
For his part, Muncy said the fact that he didn’t feel nauseous — like when previously suffering a fracture — is another reason for optimism. But the reality is it’s possible the X-ray in the immediate aftermath of getting hit would not reveal a potential break, and a CT scan is a more comprehensive imaging.
Muncy has with similar injuries in each of the last three seasons. In 2023, he was hit by a pitch in the left wrist but an X-ray was negative. In Spring Training of 2024, Muncy also avoided injury upon being hit by a pitch in his left hand.
Last September, Muncy shook off getting hit in the right forearm and was in the lineup the next game.
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