Days after seeing Clayton Kershaw walk off the mound due to a forearm injury that would end his year, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the prospect of a postseason run without having Max Muncy available as well.
Muncy exited the regular season finale after a collision at first base that bent his left elbow and shoulder awkwardly. Muncy later revealed he sustained a dislocated left elbow and “other damage” on the play.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ruled the slugger out for the Wild Card Game and if the team advanced, the National League Division Series. Muncy was subsequently left of the postseason roster for the NL Championship Series as well and is keeping his elbow in a brace.
Ahead of the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves playing Game 1 at Truist Park, Muncy indicated there has been some progress with his recovery but pain remains an issue, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I’ve had better days,” Muncy said in the visitor’s dugout at Truist Park, a bulky brace still on his injured left elbow. “It’s one of those things where it’s still really painful. I’m trying to get through it, trying to see where we’re at. I’ve had better days.”
“The range of motion has actually been pretty decent the last couple days,” Muncy said. “We’re able to get more movement in it than we thought. That’s where a lot of the optimism is coming from. It’s just one of those things where it’s not really close to normal and probably won’t be. If we’re able to play, it’ll be essentially gutting through.”
Neither Muncy nor the Dodgers have offered any specifics on what the rehab process has entailed, or if baseball activities are part of it.
When it came to the NLCS, the Dodgers waited as long as they could before deciding against adding Muncy.
“I think Andrew said it best, he’s moving around but it’s going to be our last-minute bullet,” Roberts said of Muncy the night before setting the postseason roster.
“If he feels he can do something at any point in the series, then it’s certainly something we need to consider. Still unlikely, but we’re holding out hope as much as we can.”
Would Muncy return for World Series?
While Muncy theoretically could replace an injured position player on the NLCS roster, that doesn’t figure to be a likely scenario.
If L.A. manages to advance past the Braves and get a chance to reset their roster for the World Series, Game 1 is scheduled for Oct. 26. It could be plausible the Dodgers make Muncy active even if he would not be available until later in the World Series.
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