The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Max Muncy off the 10-day injured list and optioned Zach Reks to Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
Muncy returns after missing the past nine games due to a minor right oblique strain. L.A. went 6-3 without Muncy, whose absence overlapped with that of Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers expect to reinstate Bellinger (left hamstring tightness) for the series finale at Petco Park.
Bellinger and Muncy took at-bats in a simulated game against Scott Alexander on Monday. “All three came out of it well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Scottie, obviously he’ll be activated when he’s eligible sometime in the first couple days of July.”
Despite the Padres starting Blake Snell in the second game of the series, Muncy is due to be in the lineup and play second base. L.A. is coming off a night in which they were held to just three hits and two runs, and Roberts was eager to see Muncy back.
“It’s just the presence in the lineup,” he said after the 6-2 loss. “You get an All-Star player back, certainly makes us a lot better.”
In addition to dealing with the oblique strain, Muncy had been slowed by a mysterious right ankle issue that arose June 4. “It’s not quite an ankle sprain. We got X-rays done, doctors looked at it, and we’re just not entirely sure,” he recently said.
“Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like it’s anything too serious. We’re keeping an eye on it, obviously.”
Reks is back with Oklahoma City one day after joining the Dodgers and making his MLB debut. He went 0-for-2 with one strikeout prior to exiting as part of a pitching change that was a double switch.
Muncy among Dodgers in thick of All-Star Game voting
The latest All-Star Game voting update still had Muncy leading all National League first basemen. The Dodgers also have Will Smith (fourth place), Gavin Lux (third), Justin Turner (third), Corey Seager (third), Mookie Betts (fourth) and Chris Taylor (fifth) among the top vote-getters at their respective positions.
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