The Los Angeles Dodgers set a season high with five home runs and extended their winning streak to four games, but also saw Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger removed early from the series opener against the Texas Rangers due to respective injuries.
Muncy experienced right side tightness and exited in the second inning, while Bellinger gingerly walked off the field after hitting an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Bellinger said he was experiencing a cramp, but the Dodgers later diagnosed him with left hamstring tightness.
“They’re both going to be day-to-day,” manager Dave Roberts said after the 12-1 win. “Muncy felt something in his side; I’m really hesitant to not say oblique, but that’s kind of where it was at. Got ahead of it early, in our opinion and Max’s opinion. [Saturday] will be more telling.
“With Cody, just felt it on a take. The ball in and he felt his hamstring kind of tug. Thought it was a cramp. But when he was running down the line didn’t feel great with it. So he’s kind of in that same bucket as far as we’ll know more [Saturday].”
Roberts had already indicated Bellinger would not be in the lineup on Saturday, with Mookie Betts sliding over to play center field and Zach McKinstry starting in right.
Like Bellinger, Muncy delivered despite experiencing some discomfort as he hit a two-run home run in the first inning to get the Dodgers’ big night started. “It was the swing before he hit the homer,” Roberts said of when Muncy felt the side trouble.
The Dodgers hadn’t sent either player for further examination and instead plan on seeing how each reports on Saturday. Muncy already has been dealing with a right ankle issue that he and the team are not fully aware of the type of injury it is.
Wave of Dodgers injuries
Friday was just Bellinger’s 12th game since returning from a hairline fracture in his left fibula. He was activated on the same day as Zach McKinstry, and the likes of Jimmy Nelson, AJ Pollock and Tony Gonsolin soon followed.
Potentially losing Bellinger and Muncy will further test the Dodgers’ depth that already has taken on a rash of injuries this season. “That’s baseball,” Roberts said. “Right now I’m going to kind of hold out hope that it will be short term, if any lost time for both guys.”
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