Max Muncy remains hopeful following negative wrist X-ray results

Muncy Leaves Game with Wrist Injury, X-Rays Cleared

MILWAUKEE – Max Muncy didn’t quite evade a bullet—figuratively speaking, that is. In the eighth inning of last Friday’s game against the Brewers, Muncy was struck on the right wrist by a sinker thrown at 95.5 mph by Aaron Ashby. Fortunately, the news in the Dodgers’ locker room was encouraging: initial X-rays for the injury showed no fractures.

“It hurts, but thankfully it’s not broken,” Muncy commented. “I’m relieved. We’ll need a few more days to see how it reacts. Usually, X-rays in that area can be tricky. It might have hit part of the wrist pad and then the wrist…I didn’t check the replay yet, but that’s what it felt like.”

Manager Dave Roberts shared Muncy’s relief, noting that while Muncy might miss the rest of the weekend series, they were grateful it wasn’t something worse. “I think the pads did their job,” Roberts said. “He’ll be out for a couple days so that the swelling can go down. He seems to be breathing a bit easier now.”

If Muncy, 35, is sidelined for an extended period, it could significantly impact the Dodgers’ offense. He’s currently batting .258, leading the team with 12 home runs and 19 RBIs, along with an .878 OPS. Muncy has also expressed that his swing feels the best it has in years, having finally overcome elbow and oblique injuries that affected his performance over the past few seasons.

This incident isn’t his first brush with wrist trouble; he had previously fractured his right wrist after being hit by a pitch in a similar spot late in the 2019 season, which resulted in a two-week absence.

Fortunately, Muncy felt the pain was not as severe this time. “Back in 2019, I felt nauseous after the hit, but tonight was different. That’s why I’m feeling optimistic,” he shared.

The Dodgers have plans for Muncy’s possible absence, with Santiago Espinal anticipated to step in at third base soon. Quique Hernandez is also set to return from the disabled list and make his season debut in Los Angeles on Monday.

Still, if things go well for Muncy, he could be back in action by Tuesday. “It really, really hurt,” he recounted. “In those moments, you’re just trying to gauge what you’re feeling and figure out how serious it might be.”