Max Muncy hasn’t appeared in a game for the Los Angeles Dodgers since mid-May because of a right oblique strain, an injury that has left a noticeable void in the lineup.
The veteran infielder was batting .223/.323/.475 with a 121 wRC+ prior to going on the injured list on May 17. Muncy’s timeline was slowed two weeks ago when the Dodgers shut down his progression after experiencing a hiccup in the recovery process.
Dodgers coaches indicated that he would resume hitting drills, with the hope that the 33-year-old will avoid any additional issues in his rehab, per Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“It’s open-ended,” Roberts said, when asked if Muncy will be ready to return when his 60-day IL stint is up. “We’ll see how he progresses. We’ve already had one setback, we don’t need another.”
The Dodgers supplemented the third base slot with a combination of Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernández, Chris Taylor and Cavan Biggio in Muncy’s absence. Collectively, their performance has been incredibly lackluster, putting a spotlight on how much the lineup is lacking without Muncy’s left-handed bat.
Muncy making progress puts him on track to return sometime after the All-Star Break, with the earliest he can be activated off the 60-day IL coming on July 16.
Chris Taylor filling in for Max Muncy
Since the start of June, Taylor has batted .278/.333/.528 with four extra-base hits, four RBI and seven runs scored.
The veteran utilityman recently made some changes to his swing, a welcomed sign for a player in need of a turnaround. Taylor has meant a lot to the Dodgers as a whole, and when he’s playing at an above league-average level, is a weapon.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Taylor has earned a runway to play some third base, citing his recent stretch of solid play. Without clear starting options, him getting the lion share of time at the hot corner is an opportunity to get a rhythm going on both sides of the ball.
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