The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Kristopher Negrón and placed Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 29, with a right wrist fracture. Muncy sustained the injury in the series finale against the San Diego Padres.
He was immediately removed from the game after being hit in the right wrist by a 94 mph fastball. A fluoroscopy that night at Petco Park came back negative, and so did an X-ray in Arizona the following day.
However, with Muncy still experiencing discomfort and limited range of motion, he was sent for an MRI on Friday. It revealed what the 29-year-old deemed was a small fracture in the wrist. Muncy is hopeful to return within two weeks.
While he is due to miss a portion of the final month of the season, Muncy would appear to be likely to make a full recovery prior to the start of the playoffs. Assuming the Dodgers clinch a seventh consecutive division title, they would be scheduled to begin the National League Division Series on Oct. 3.
Muncy is batting .253/.375/.525 with 19 doubles, 33 home runs and 87 RBI this season. His injury could lead to the Dodgers being more aggressive with roster call-ups in September, though it’s unclear if that has any impact on Gavin Lux who figures to at minimum apprentice with the team.
Negrón returns on the first day he was eligible to be reinstated from the injured list. He passed a concussion test and X-rays were negative after a faceplant on an attempted diving catch during a road game against the Miami Marlins, but experienced lingering neck stiffness.
Negrón was slow to his feet and a bloody nose to go with some abrasions on his face, prompting the Dodgers to remove him from the game. He appeared in two more contests after the incident before being placed on the injured list Aug. 20.
“Played through it over the weekend but there was some residual. Want to get him to recoup and get back to 100%,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at the time. The roster move coincided with both Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor returning from their respective injuries.
“It obviously helps when you have Kiké and Chris Taylor coming back,” Roberts added.
Negrón has proven to be a valuable option for Roberts off the bench and in the field because of his versatility.
