Ahead of their biggest series of the season, the Dodgers suffered another significant injury blow.
Third baseman Max Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a Grade 1 right oblique strain ahead of the team’s pivotal divisional matchup against the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers are hopeful Muncy’s injury — which manager Dave Roberts said was similar to, but more mild, than the oblique and rib problem that sidelined him for much of last year — won’t be season ending.
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However, Muncy will be out for at least several weeks, with Roberts offering no firm timetable beyond that.
“I don’t think anyone knows right now, but certainly beyond the 10 days,” Roberts said. “I think that’s a safe bet.”
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
The last time the Dodgers lost Muncy, to a knee injury in early July that kept him out for about a month, their offense cratered.
Before that point, the team had led the majors in scoring, with 25 more runs than any other club. But over the 25 games he missed, they ranked last, averaging 3.5 runs per game while other star hitters endured slumps.
That sequence served as a reminder of Muncy’s importance to the team. Even after a slow start this year, he was hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs in 89 games.
“It’s certainly a tough loss,” Roberts said. “I think it’s just, guys got to continue to perform to their abilities. It’s hard to kind of backfill Max, what he brings as far as the plate discipline, the slug, the on-base, all that stuff. I feel good about our lineup, the guys that we have, and they’ve just got to go out there and take good at-bats. That’s kind of all we can do right now.”
Muncy’s injury comes amid other key injuries to the lineup.
Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández (the team’s primary backup options at third base) are unlikely to return before September. Because of that, the club had already dug deep into its minor-league depth, including calling up highly touted prospect Alex Freeland — who has hit just .176 since arriving, but got the start at third base Friday.
