Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy will be sidelined for several games after taking a pitch to his right wrist during the eighth inning of Friday’s 5-1 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers at their home stadium.
The 35-year-old player, who had gone without a hit in his previous three plate appearances, was struck by a 95.5 mph slider thrown by reliever Aaron Ashby.
Following the contest, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared encouraging news about the injury. “The initial X-ray was negative, which was great,” Roberts said. “I think it got enough of the pad to protect it. He’ll be down for the next couple days just to make sure we get that swelling out. I think right now, we’re breathing a sigh of relief.”
Despite the positive test results, Muncy remains cautiously hopeful about his condition.
“I’m not feeling great right now, but it is a relief,” Muncy commented. “We’ve just got to monitor it the next couple of days. Typically, especially in that area, the X-rays never come back positive immediately. It kind of forms a little bit.”
“I’m pretty sure it half my wrist pad and then half my wrist. So me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple years might have saved my wrist.”
According to Roberts, Santiago Espinal, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Muncy, will take over third base duties for Saturday’s matchup.
The injured player currently paces the Dodgers with 12 home runs this season and maintains a .258 batting average along with 19 RBIs across 48 games.
The two-time All-Star began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics during 2015-16 before signing with Los Angeles as a free agent prior to the 2017 campaign. Throughout his career spanning 1,068 games, the three-time World Series winner has compiled a .231 batting average with 226 home runs and 623 RBIs.
