It’s been nearly three weeks since Max Muncy suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during a game against the Chicago White Sox on July 2.
After an MRI revealed there wasn’t any structural damage in Muncy’s left knee, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed him on the 10-day injured list amid an expectation he would be out for around six weeks.
To Muncy, the injury diagnosis was both a relief and bad news. He’d avoided a season-ending injury, but was concerned with missing six weeks.
Fast forward to Friday, and Muncy took swings for the first time since his injury while wearing a blue sleeve on his leg. He also did some throwing, and on Saturday completed fielding drills and did some light running. Muncy fielded more grounders at third base before Sunday’s game as well, all the while wearing a sleeve on his left leg.
“He’s coming quick. I think he’s swinging the bat, doing some jogging, throwing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday. “He’s in great shape right now.”
He then offered more encouraging comments on Sunday, indicating Muncy would begin a rehab assignment shortly and return “in a couple weeks.”
While Muncy initially estimated he faced a recovery period of six weeks, he made it clear the timeline could have a wide variety of outcomes.
There was always the possibility Muncy could return a little sooner, or slightly after. It was all dependent on the pace at which Muncy’s knee healed and responded to treatment.
Dodgers missing Max Muncy’s presence in lineup
The Dodgers have been in a rut since losing Muncy, specifically on offense, which has been held to two or fewer runs in seven times of their 12 games without him.
Muncy struggled out of the gate this season, but became the Dodgers’ hottest hitter during the month of June. He was able to turn his season around beginning in May, partly due to a decision to start wearing glasses.
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