The Los Angeles Dodgers had an eventful trade deadline in which they bolstered depth at areas of great need and more importantly acquired the best starting pitcher who was moved at a favorable price.
One position somewhat left unaddressed was third base, which has given the Dodgers trouble ever since Max Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain in May. The team did not add a true third baseman on Tuesday, but covered their bases to a degree by trading for Tommy Edman and Amed Rosario.
That may end up proving to be a moot point, however, as Muncy has suddenly turned a corner in a recovery process that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said had become “pretty stagnant.”
“Max had a real good breakthrough with how he felt,” Roberts revealed before the Dodgers were swept by the San Diego Padres. “So I’m really encouraged. I talked to him by text today. So I think that we’ve kind of crossed a hurdle.”
Muncy and the Dodgers had been flummoxed by the lingering oblique trouble and discomfort that surfaced whenever he attempted to swing a bat. Additional MRIs of Muncy’s oblique did not reveal the source of that pain or any sort of new injury.
“There was a chiropractic adjustment that kind of aligned things in there, in the ribs, which is great,” Roberts explained. “So when everything’s telling you that you’re healthy and you’re fine, sometimes it’s kind of a body lineup thing that gets things back in line, right?
“So that’s something he was pretty excited about.”
Next steps for Max Muncy
Although Muncy’s status has taken a considerable turn, what he and the Dodgers still need to get past is swinging the bat without issue or setback.
“I think Max is going to need some more time as far as on a rehab assignment,” Roberts said. “But really, really trending in the right way.”
If another snag does crop up, the Dodgers could turn to Edman or Rosario to help fill in at third base. But it’s also likely that Edman makes the bulk of his starts in center field.
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