Friday’s comeback win against the Colorado Rockies set a multitude of records for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but also included an injury scare for Chris Taylor and early exits for Max Muncy and manager Dave Roberts.
Taylor was hit by a pitch in his left hand in the fourth inning but managed to remain in the game. He suffered a fractured left forearm in August and missed more than one month. Then with Gavin Lux batting, Roberts was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.
Roberts became the final MLB manager to get tossed from a game this season, and he did so seemingly on a quick hook from home-plate umpire Greg Gibson. That seemingly lit a spark for the Dodgers as they went from trailing to a 12-5 win.
Therefore, there weren’t any red flags raised when Muncy was removed in the eighth inning. However, Roberts revealed it was due to a quad issue, according to Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA:
Max Muncy has quad tightness.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) September 21, 2019
It’s unclear at present time if Muncy’s will be in the lineup Saturday, but the minor injury is not believed to be serious. Muncy recently returned after sustaining a small fracture in his right wrist as a result of being hit by a 96 mph fastball.
Although Muncy managed to make a speedy recovery, he admitted the wrist was not yet 100% healed and still caused some trouble when throwing.
While the Dodgers looked forward to welcoming players back in September, they’ve spent the month managing injuries and juggling health with the pursuit of the best record in baseball. They did receive positive news Friday, as Justin Turner made a pinch-hit appearance and is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday.
The series opener with the Rockies marked a 10th consecutive game Turner did not start because of a sprained left ankle.
Meanwhile, Rich Hill pitched in a simulated game and is due to start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. Assuming all goes well, Hill will then take the mound in the regular-season finale at Oracle Park.
