Max Muncy Injured After HBP, X-Rays Show No Fracture

The Dodgers faced a double blow in their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, suffering a 6-3 loss while also losing third baseman Max Muncy to injury. Muncy exited the game after being struck on the right wrist by a 95.5-mph fastball from Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby in the eighth inning. He was quickly replaced by pinch-runner Santiago Espinal.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, X-rays on Muncy’s wrist returned negative, providing a glimmer of hope amid the frustration. “We just gotta monitor 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,” Muncy explained to reporters in Milwaukee. He noted that the impact seemed to hit both his wrist pad and the wrist itself, adding, “Me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple of years might have saved my wrist, at least tonight.”

This season, Muncy has been a standout performer for the Dodgers, boasting a .258 batting average, a .363 on-base percentage, and a .515 slugging percentage, along with a team-leading 147 wRC+ and 12 home runs. His absence will be felt as the team prepares for the rest of the series.

With left-hander Robert Gasser set to start for Milwaukee on Saturday, it may have been a logical decision for Muncy to sit out regardless of his injury. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Espinal will take over at third base for the next game, with Miguel Rojas stepping in at second base. “He’ll be down for the next couple of days, just to make sure we get that swelling out,” Roberts said, offering a cautious but relieved assessment of Muncy’s situation.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.