The Los Angeles Dodgers are on a three-game winning streak, finally breaking out of a slump. Dave Roberts’ team finishes off a series against the Cincinnati Reds tonight, looking to complete a sweep. However, the biggest news that comes from Wednesday night might be on the status of Max Muncy. Alex Freeland might not have to fill in at third base for the rest of the season.
Muncy has been on the injured list since August 12 with an oblique injury. It is not the first time the Dodgers veteran has been on the IL, robbing his team of a reliable bat and great defense in the hot corner. However, Muncy offered an encouraging update to fans before Wednesday’s game with SportsNet Los Angeles. According to him, his recovery is going well and he is feeling good.
“Yeah, we’re getting there,” Muncy said. “We’re just trying to be cautious and be careful with everything that we’re doing. At this point in the season, we can’t really afford to have anything set me back. So we’re just being real slow and real cautious and making sure that everything feels completely normal before we progress to the next steps. We’ll see what that timeline looks like, but we’re getting close.”
The Dodgers would love to have Muncy back in the lineup to kickstart what has been an inconsistent offense. Roberts has called out his lineup for slacking at the plate, hoping to reinvigorate them down the final stretch of the regular season. For now, Los Angeles will have to do so without Muncy in the lineup as he tries to complete his recovery before the playoffs.
Freeland has been good since the Dodgers called him up to the big leagues. Despite his performance, though, he is not ready to take the field in the postseason. Roberts and Co. hope that Muncy can make it back from the injured list soon. Before then, they have unfinished business with the Reds and the rest of their schedule.
