Muncy is no longer using a step-back in his swing as he did for the latter part of last season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Muncy adopted the step-back last year in part to "lock things in place" following a rough start to the campaign that was likely connected to lingering ligament damage in his elbow. Ardaya reports that Muncy visited Driveline in the offseason and took up weighted bat training that has resulted in a quicker swing, and the veteran appears to be back to full health for the coming campaign. Muncy has so far shown positive results this spring, slashing .292/.393/.500 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI over 28 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Riding pine Saturday
Rotowire
Muncy isn't starting Saturday against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Muncy will head to the bench after he went 1-for-18 with a double, two RBI, a run, six walks and five strikeouts over the last six games. Miguel Vargas is serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Out of Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Muncy is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Diamondbacks, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Muncy sat out Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader but started the nightcap and went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, and he'll return to the bench for Wednesday's contest. Justin Turner will serve as the designated hitter while Hanser Alberto starts at the hot corner.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Slams 21st homer
Rotowire
Muncy went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader split with Arizona.
Muncy didn't play in the first game of the twin bill but started at third base in the nightcap. He accounted for both Los Angeles runs with a two-run shot to right field in the sixth inning. Muncy has at least one hit in 13 of his 15 games in September and is slashing .305/.388/.627 with five homers, 14 RBI and 14 runs this month.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Opening doubleheader on bench
Rotowire
Muncy is not in the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Diamondbacks.
Muncy owns a stellar 1.041 OPS this month, but the Dodgers have little to play for at this point, so they will limit Muncy to no more than one start Tuesday.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Homers, reaches base four times
Rotowire
Muncy went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and an additional run in a 4-0 win against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Muncy singled and scored in the second inning, walked in the third, homered in the seventh and walked again in the ninth. Despite missing some time recently with a knee injury, the 32-year-old has picked up right where he left off with a .361/.425/.750 slash line and four home runs in nine September games.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Knocks in three runs in return
Rotowire
Muncy went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a walk in Sunday's 11-2 win against San Diego.
Muncy missed the Dodgers' previous two games due to a left knee issue, but he was able to play as the designated hitter Sunday. The veteran notched a two-run single in the sixth inning and recorded another RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the following frame. Muncy has recorded exactly three RBI in each of the past three games in which he's played, pushing his total to 60 runs batted in on the season.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Ends two-game absence
Rotowire
Muncy (knee) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Sunday's game against the Padres.
He'll step back into the starting nine for the series finale following a two-game hiatus due to a minor left knee injury. Muncy received an injection to alleviate pain in the knee, so it's possible the Dodgers limit him to a DH-only role for a few games to avoid a flareup down the stretch that might sideline him for a longer period of time.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Expected back Sunday
Rotowire
Muncy (knee) is expected to start at third base Sunday against the Padres, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Muncy has been dealing with knee issues recently and has been out since he received a cortisone injection Wednesday. While the Dodgers could afford to rest him for an extended period given their comfortable perch atop the National League standings, a longer absence evidently won't be necessary.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Remains out of lineup
Rotowire
Muncy (knee) will remain on the bench Saturday against San Diego.
Muncy hasn't played since receiving a cortisone injection in his left knee Wednesday. He hasn't looked like he's playing through an injury, as he went 6-for-9 with three home runs in the two games prior to his absence, but he's apparently been dealing with the issue for a while. With the Dodgers safely atop the NL West, the team has no need to rush Muncy back, so it's possible he sits for a few more days. Justin Turner will be the third baseman Saturday, with Will Smith serving as the designated hitter.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Sitting with sore knee
Rotowire
Muncy is being held out Friday after receiving a cortisone injection in his left knee Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
It was surprising that Muncy was not in Friday's lineup after racking up six hits, three homers and six RBI over his last two appearances, but it appears he was not simply getting a night off. According to the report, Muncy's knee "has been bothering him for some time" and he figured it was "best to address it before (the) postseason." He could conceivably return to the lineup Saturday, but it seems more likely he'll get additional time to recover.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Heads to bench Friday
Rotowire
Muncy isn't starting Friday against the Padres, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Muncy is getting a breather after he went 6-for-9 with three home runs, a double, six RBI, five runs and a strikeout over the last two games. Joey Gallo will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Another big blast
Rotowire
Muncy went 3-for-5 with one homer, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over San Francisco.
Muncy increased the Dodgers' lead to four with a three-run homer off righty reliever Zack Littell in the eighth. After a stretch of 13 games without a home run, the 32-year-old has now hit three in his last two games. The second baseman had gone four straight games without a hit but bounced back with what is now a modest five-game hit streak that includes back-to-back three-hit games.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Goes yard twice in win
Rotowire
Muncy went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Giants.
Muncy snapped a 13-game homer drought in the third inning with a two-run blast. He added a solo shot in the sixth for good measure, raising his season total to 18 long balls. The infielder is up to a .192/.321/.381 slash line with 54 RBI, 58 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases through 468 plate appearances, though he's now hit safely in four straight games.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Takes seat Saturday
Rotowire
Muncy isn't starting Saturday against the Padres, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Muncy is getting a breather after he went 1-for-18 with a run, three walks and six strikeouts over the last five games. Will Smith will serve as the designated hitter and bat cleanup.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Playing through sore knee
Rotowire
Muncy has been playing through left knee soreness, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Muncy was supposed to serve as the designated hitter for the third consecutive game Saturday against the Marlins, but he'll move out to third base with Justin Turner feeling well enough to hit but not take the field. Muncy has just one hit in his last three games (12 at-bats), but it's unclear if that brief slump has anything to do with the knee issue.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Signs extension with Dodgers
Rotowire
Muncy signed a one-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Dodgers on Monday, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. The deal also includes a team option for 2024 at $10 million plus incentives.
Muncy is hitting just .190 this season, but he owns an .896 OPS since the All-Star break, and that was all the Dodgers needed to see before locking him up for another year -- and perhaps two. Muncy has been a fixture in the Los Angeles lineup, and he will presumably remain a regular in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Slugs homer in win
Rotowire
Muncy went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in Sunday's 10-3 win over the Marlins.
Muncy continued his torrid August with his fifth multi-hit game in his last 16. In that span, he's knocked seven homers while adding 15 RBI and 11 runs scored. The infielder owns a .190/.326/.386 slash line with 16 long balls, 47 RBI, 51 runs scored and two stolen bases through 99 contests overall, and he's been trending in the right direction for a few weeks now.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: On bench Friday
Rotowire
Muncy isn't starting Friday against the Marlins, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Muncy has slashed .308/.400/.795 with five home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI and seven runs over the last 11 games but will get a breather Friday. Hanser Alberto will start at third base and bat seventh.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Continues hot stretch
Rotowire
Muncy went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Milwaukee.
Offense was hard to come by in the contest, and Muncy provided what turned out to be the winning run when he launched a solo shot to right field in the seventh inning. The long ball was the sixth in August for the veteran and accounted for his 13th RBI through 13 games. After struggling through the first four months of the campaign, Muncy has caught fire in August, adding to the homer and RBI totals with a .340/.415/.830 slash line.
