Max Muncy's X-Ray Came Back Negative, And The One Quote That Proves The Dodgers Are STILL Holding Their Breath

Alright, Seattle, you hear about this? Max Muncy, that power-hitting third baseman for the Dodgers, just took a brutal 95.5 mph slider to the right wrist in the eighth inning of their 5-1 loss to the Brewers on Friday night. Ouch. The guy was already hitless in his first three at-bats against reliever Aaron Ashby when that fastball-disguised-as-a-slider came in. The immediate good news, if you can call it that, is the initial X-ray came back negative. But don't let that fool you into thinking everything's hunky-dory over in LA. This is a major bat on a contender, and a wrist injury, even a minor one, can throw a whole season off kilter for any team, especially early on.

The Dodgers' Sigh of Relief... and Why It Might Be Too Early to Exhale

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was quick to tell reporters they were "breathing a sigh of relief" after that initial X-ray. He indicated it "got enough of the pad to protect it" and that Muncy would be "down for the next couple days" just to get the swelling out. Sounds like a bullet mostly dodged, right? But not so fast, says Muncy himself. The guy is 35 years old, a seasoned veteran who's been through the grinder, and he's got a much more cautious take. "I'm not feeling great right now, but it is a relief," Muncy admitted. He added, "We've just got to monitor it 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." He's "pretty sure it half my wrist pad and then half my wrist," and even gave props to his wrist guard, saying it "might have saved my wrist." That's not exactly the sound of a guy who's ready to jump back in with full confidence. They're already planning for Santiago Espinal, who pinch ran for Muncy, to start at third base on Saturday, which tells you everything you need to know about how they're actually feeling about the immediate future.

What This Means For a Power Hitter's Early Season Form

This isn't just any regular dude getting dinged up. Muncy leads the Dodgers with a whopping 12 dingers already this season! Think about that, 12 homers, and we're still in May. He's also batting .258 with 19 RBIs in his 48 games played. He's a legit two-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion with Los Angeles, a veteran who spent his first two seasons with the then-Oakland Athletics from 2015-16 before joining the Dodgers as a free agent ahead of the 2017 season. He's seen a lot of pitches in his career, boasting a career .231 average, 226 home runs, and 623 RBIs in 1,068 games. A wrist injury for a guy whose living is built on driving the ball with authority? Even a couple of days off can mess with your swing, your timing, your confidence at the plate. This is exactly where teams can really feel the sting, especially when you're counting on those big swings from your cornerstone veterans to set the pace in the early part of the season.

So while the big bats on other teams are taking knocks and causing concern, our M's gotta keep their heads down and grind every single day. We're in this for the long haul, Emerald City! Let's go, M's!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.