It’s everybody that’s got to kind of work together to make our offense go.” “When Max is good it makes everyone’s job easier. “Freddie and Max, to me, (are) prominent guys in the lineup from that side of the batter’s box,” Roberts said. Roberts’ insistence on keeping Muncy in the middle of the lineup merely emphasizes his importance to the team. Only five-time All-Star Freddie Freeman bats higher among the team’s left-handed hitters. When he’s in the starting lineup, Muncy bats fourth or fifth. Muncy is swinging well enough, at least in the estimation of Roberts and the team’s front office, to maintain his place in the Dodgers’ batting order. He’s built to play every day so I don’t think I need to find arbitrary days to sit him, especially if he’s swinging the bat well.” “There will be some days – a day or two (off) in that stretch of (19) in a row. “I think that he’s physically fine, emotionally fine,” Roberts said of Muncy. The output scarcely resembles that of a hitter who collected National League MVP votes in three of the last four seasons. Even his on-base percentage, usually a strength, is a shade above league average at. 280, with only four home runs in 46 games. That’s why even the loud outs, like his flyout in the sixth inning Tuesday, bear notice.īatting average only tells part of the story of Muncy’s 2022 season. It was not, however, the Max Muncy the Dodgers have seen in five games since: 2 for 16 with three walks and two strikeouts. It was the Max Muncy the Dodgers had been waiting for all season. Upon his return on June 9 in Chicago, Muncy went 2 for 5 with a home run, a double and five RBIs. He recently took a 13-game sabbatical to Phoenix and Oklahoma City to rest his “barking” elbow. “That tells me the barrel is getting there,” Muncy said Wednesday, “which it wasn’t doing before.”įor a day, it seemed as if Muncy was all the way back. He recited the ball’s exit speed (99.3 mph) and launch angle (52 degrees) a day later as signs of progress. 156 batting average, is a struggling slugger. It was the kind of parabola that goes unnoticed by casual fans, not by struggling sluggers. It came to rest in Mike Trout’s glove a few seconds later, unremarkably, one of 24 outs the Dodgers made that night against the Angels. Or the Dodgers could turn to Cody Bellinger and hope he can break out of a season-long slump in October.LOS ANGELES ― In his third plate appearance on Tuesday, Max Muncy hit a pop-up with unusual force and height to the Dodger Stadium outfield. With Muncy out, there’s a chance Pujols could get the start at first base Wednesday night against longtime Cardinals teammate Adam Wainwright. The reigning World Series champs tied a franchise record with 106 victories but finished a game behind the high-flying Giants and had to settle for a wild card. Muncy’s injury could not come at a worse time for the Dodgers with the playoffs until three days away. 250 with a Dodgers-best 36 home runs and 94 RBIs this season. Albert Pujols entered the game in place of Muncy, who is hitting. Muncy received an ovation from the Dodgers crowd when he sat up and another as he walked off the field. The first-base umpire called Peterson out for interference as Muncy lay flat on his back on the ground writhing in pain. Smith’s throw hit Peterson in the back as he careened into Muncy’s outstretched glove hand. The combination of a tailing throw from Dodgers catcher Will Smith and Peterson running inside the baseline put Muncy in harm’s way. The injury occurred in the top of the third inning after Peterson hit a slow dribbler in front of home plate. Max Muncy exits the game holding his left arm after a collision at first base.
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