The crack of the bat gave way to a sharp yell that cut through the American Family Field night. In the eighth inning of Friday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, Max Muncy took a 95.5 mph sinker from Aaron Ashby right in the right hand/wrist area. He shook it off at first, but the way his hand trembled during the tests told a different story. Moments later, Muncy turned and walked off, leaving Dodgers fans holding their breath.
Initial X-rays came back negative. For a club that’s already navigated plenty of injury minefields, that news landed like a massive exhale. Manager Dave Roberts addressed it postgame on SportsNet LA: “We took an initial X-ray, was negative. Which is great. I think it got enough of that pad to protect it. He’ll be down for the next couple days just to make sure we get that swelling out, but I think right now, we’re breathing a sigh of relief. It was kind of the wrist, that little bone area.”
Muncy, 35, has been through this rodeo before. He leads the Dodgers with 12 home runs and a .515 slugging percentage this season. Even during his current slump, his quality at-bats and veteran presence remain vital in a lineup that’s finally found its rhythm in May. Losing him for any extended stretch would sting, especially after Roberts previously noted how Muncy’s absence with a right oblique strain last year contributed to broader offensive woes.
The veteran third baseman himself stayed measured but optimistic. “Not feeling great right now, but it is a relief,” Muncy said. “We just got to monitor it the next couple days. Typically, especially in that area, the X-rays never come back positive immediately. It kind of forms a little bit. But I’m pretty sure it hit half my wrist pad and half my wrist. I think me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple years might have saved my wrist, at least tonight.”
That wrist guard might have been the difference. Back in 2019, Muncy fractured his right wrist on a hit-by-pitch that didn’t show on the first X-ray. This time, he believes it felt different. He’s already ruled out for Saturday and Sunday, with Santiago Espinal stepping in at third and Miguel Rojas shifting to second.
The Brewers took the rematch of last year’s NLCS 5-1, but the real story was Muncy’s health. He went 0-for-3, including a bases-loaded pop-up in the fourth that loomed large. Yet his value runs deeper than any single night.
For now, the Dodgers are playing it cautious. A few days of rest and monitoring should tell the full story.
