The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without Max Muncy since May 28, when he was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation.
The 31-year-old, who is still recovering from a dislocated left elbow and torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sustained at the end of the 2021 season, aggravated the injury after he banged his arm into protective netting and a metal bar during a game at Nationals Park.
After taking a few days off to rest, Muncy has resumed baseball activities and will head to Camelback Ranch. “He’ll go back to Arizona in a few days and just start ramping back up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said this week.
“If we’re going to kind of take a reprieve with the arm, with the body, the mind, all of it, we’re going to make good on it. He didn’t swing a bat all series in Arizona. I’m sure he’s going to start kind of swinging and kind of get back into it slowly.
“We just don’t want to put a timeline on him, so whenever he’s ready to come back, he’ll be back. I just don’t know when that is. It’ll entail some type of rehab at-bats in some fashion.”
As for whether Muncy will need to go on a rehab assignment before rejoining the Dodgers, Roberts will leave the decision to the two-time All-Star. “I think we’re really at peace with letting him drive it,” Roberts said.
“Obviously the longer he’s away from actively playing with us, the more of an option a rehab is. But right now, I just want him to get back into it and see where it takes us.”
Muncy took batting practice at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday for the first time since being placed on the IL.
Muncy hopeful time on IL will help elbow & ‘mentally’
After a rough start to the 2022 season, Muncy recently expressed hope that his IL stint will not only be beneficial for the injured elbow but also his headspace.
Muncy had shown some signs of frustration over his struggles this year, and that appeared to boil over when his error resulted in a walk-off loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
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