Max Muncy was mired in an 0-for-16 stretch before hitting a sinking line drive that dropped for a base hit in the seventh inning on Wednesday night. He followed that with a two-run homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
With momentum on his side, Muncy politely declined to speak with reporters as they approached him in the Dodgers clubhouse after the game. “I’m being superstitious right now,” he said with a smile.
“Last time I talked, I went without a hit for two weeks.”
Muncy is among the Dodgers who have gotten off to a slow start this season, with the stretch similar to what was seen in 2020 as he recovered from a fractured left ring finger suffered when Alex Wood hit him with a pitch during Summer Camp.
Like two years ago, Muncy still is a strong presence in the Dodgers lineup and has maintained plate discipline that’s led to a career-best 18.7% walk rate thus far.
“It tells me that he’s a smart baseball player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy’s ability to work a walk.
“You look at the scoreboard and you see a one-handle, it’s very disheartening. But he understands the value of still taking a good at-bat, getting on base, passing the baton and knowing when he’s in the lineup he’s still a threat. It just speaks to his baseball acumen.”
One potential explanation to Muncy’s slow start this year is the dislocated left elbow and torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) he suffered on the final day of the 2021 regular season. Muncy spent the offseason going through a rehab program and has alluded to likely not being fully recovered until next season.
Bellinger happy for Muncy
Having gone through an uneven start to the season as well, Cody Bellinger was happy to see Muncy rewarded with success Wednesday night.
“It’s good to take it into the off day, take it to Chicago,” Bellinger said. “I feel like he’s been seeing the ball well, so to get some results definitely has to feel amazing.”
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