Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — Max Muncy, sporting a very funky-looking brace on his arm, was on the field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday and gave the gathered media an update on the status of the nasty injury he sustained on Sunday.
Muncy told us that he had dislocated his elbow during the collision with runner Jace Peterson during the home finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. “We got the scans back, there’s some damage in there, but we’re holding out hope,” Muncy said during the team’s workout prior to Wednesday night’s game against the Cardinals.
“Biggest thing is just trying to work as hard as I can to get back to help the team win. I’m here to support these guys. They’re an extremely good team, I’m going to be cheering as loud as anybody from the dugout and doing my best to help them out any way I can. Whether it’s pick something up to tell them what’s coming, really just doing anything I can to help the guys out.”
Good news, bad news
The good news on the injury: a ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear has been ruled out. If it had been that, it would have absolutely ended Muncy’s season. However, even with the diagnosis, there still probably a long road ahead and short time to get there.
“I did dislocate my elbow on the play and it popped back in when I was rolling on the ground,” Muncy explained. “There was some other damage in there. We’re going to learn more in the next couple days about that. It was a very scary moment. I definitely felt like my arm wasn’t there, but thankfully things aren’t as bad as they could’ve been.”
The injury almost certainly eliminates any chance of his being ready for a potential NLDS on Friday, which is a total bummer, considering the way Munce has feasted on Giants’ pitching this year. So, the best Dodger fans (and Muncy himself) can hope for is a return to the lineup in maybe the NLCS or World Series toward the end of October. Still, Muncy wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.
Muncy was asked if he still felt hopeful about a return to action. “I have to be,” he answered. “If I’m not hopeful, it’s going to be a rough couple weeks for me. I’ll just go in there and work as hard as I can and do whatever I can to get back healthy…”
Roberts tries to stay positive
Manager Dave Roberts is hoping that the recover time will be short, as it has been with several other injuries in the past. He takes comfort in the fact that Muncy has come back before, including this season, when he was out with an oblique strain in June.
“It’s not going to require surgery,” Roberts told the media. “As of right now, that’s our expectation. Still trying to hold out a glimmer of hope that he’ll be able to join us later on in the postseason,” Roberts said.
“So I don’t know what that really means, but I do know that he’s been known to heal quickly, and he’s determined to try to come help us in any way he can, so I don’t want to close the door completely on that. So I guess right now, looking at where we were on Sunday, it’s probably the best-case scenario than originally we saw.”
We know that Max will do the work to get back. Now, it’s the Dodgers job to keep winning until he’s ready to rejoin the lineup. Let’s do this, boys. Starting with the Cardinals.
