The Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind after blowing an early lead to extend their season-best winning streak to 10 games but now begin a road trip with a potential Max Muncy injury to monitor and overcome.
Muncy homered on back-to-back nights and for the third time in the past four games, but left the Dodgers’ 8-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the fifth inning. The decision stemmed from Muncy being hit in the right hand by a one-hopper that resulted in an infield single to load the bases in the top of the fifth.
“We’ll see,” Muncy answered when asked about his hand injury. He added X-rays were negative.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Muncy had trouble swinging the bat, which prompted calling on Hanser Alberto as a pinch-hitter.
“It was just a contusion on his throwing hand,” Roberts said. “X-rays negative, so we have an off day, and we’ll see how he responds on Friday.”
Although there is initial optimism, the Dodgers recently went through a situation where Chris Taylor was said to be suffering from a foot contusion after X-rays came back negative. However, lingering pain led Taylor to get a CT scan, and it revealed a small fracture in his left foot.
Muncy possibly suffering an injury would be particularly inopportune because of the point in calendar and also his recent uptick in production.
Muncy is on a seven-game hitting streak, and is batting .385 (10-for-26) with four home runs and eight RBI during the stretch.
Muncy not losing focus
Although positive results have brought about a sense of relief after season-long struggles, Muncy isn’t allowing himself to get sidetracked or complacent.
“Just focusing on my work every day. That’s really all I can do,” he reiterated. “The results are starting to come, but again, I can’t focus on that. I just have to focus on doing my work every single day and making sure I’m prepared.”
Are you following Dodger Blue on Instagram? It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
