The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without slugging third baseman Max Muncy for the foreseeable future and perhaps a bit beyond that after he suffered a bone bruise on Wednesday, July 3, as reported by FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray. Muncy collided with Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor as the latter slid head-first while trying to steal third base. Muncy was left writhing on the ground in pain before trainers came out to evaluate him, forcing his exit from the contest.
Tests on Thursday revealed that Muncy didn't suffer a fracture in the incident but did still incur the bone bruise, an ailment that will sideline the left-handed slugger for 4-6 weeks, which would put us into mid-August, roughly. Though L.A. sits firmly atop the National League West standings, losing Muncy, who has been one of baseball's hottest hitter since the start of June, for a month or more of the regular season will certainly be a blow to a loaded lineup.
Muncy, who finished runner-up in National League All-Star Game voting at third base behind Manny Machado, has continued to be a core presence in the Dodgers lineup. Through 81 games this season, the left-hander had slashed .250/.375/.832 with 13 home runs, 10 doubles, two triples and 55 RBI prior to the injury.
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Who will replace Max Muncy at third base for the Dodgers?
In the wake of Muncy's injury, it was veteran utility-man Kiké Hernandez who came into the game at third base. That is likely the immediate replacement option for the Dodgers, though veteran Miguel Rojas remains on the roster as another option for manager Dave Roberts to turn to.
Because the injury wasn't more serious, it should be said that the Dodgers might try to ride this out with Hernandez and Rojas stepping up in Muncy's stead. However, there are some potential trade-deadline targets who could come into play.
The long-time connection to Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals is sure to get a revival after Muncy's injury, and that fit could absolutely make sense. Furthermore, it's long seemed inevitable that one of the few teams that Arenado would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for would be the Dodgers, which would represent a return home for the California native.
Beyond that, though, the Dodgers could also try and pry a veteran standout from a division rival if the Arizona Diamondbacks are willing to listen to offers for Eugenio Suarez. The veteran at the hot corner is enjoying one of the best third-base seasons in baseball and one of the best years of his career as well. That's far from a guarantee, but it might be the highest-upside call that the brass in L.A. could make.
Regardless, it's unfortunate to see a player who's been so valuable to the Dodgers offense for so long go down in the midst of this super-team effort in LA. The hope is that he'll return sooner rather than later to help his team make a push toward winning back-to-back World Series titles.