ANAHEIM — Max Muncy was scratched from Wednesday night’s lineup because of soreness in his right side, but the Dodgers are confident the slugger’s injury is not related to the oblique strain and displaced rib that sidelined Muncy for more than three months in 2024.
“It’s not the same as last year,” Manager Dave Roberts said before the Freeway Series finale against the Angels. “Max feels that it’s not muscular, but I think once we get some testing [on Thursday] we’ll know more.”
Roberts said Muncy, who missed five weeks of July and early August because of a bone bruise in his left knee, suffered the injury during his pregame batting cage routine.
Shortstop Mookie Betts was originally scheduled for a night off, but when Muncy was scratched, Betts was inserted into the lineup, pushing Miguel Rojas from shortstop to second base and Alex Freeland from second to third.
Muncy, who is batting .258 with an .880 OPS, 17 homers and 64 RBIs in 89 games this season, was listed as day-to-day.
The Dodgers can ill afford a repeat of last season, when Muncy was diagnosed with an oblique strain in mid-May, had numerous setbacks and was eventually found to have a displaced rib that was resolved with a chiropractic adjustment.
“In talking to the training staff, we want to err on the side of caution,” Roberts said. “We’ll see how Max responds with a couple of days off.”
BULLPEN UPDATES
An MRI test on Brock Stewart’s right shoulder revealed what Roberts termed “benign wear-and-tear.” A cortisone injection eased the inflammation, but Stewart, acquired in a trade deadline deal with Minnesota, will still be sidelined for several weeks.
Stewart, who was placed on the injured list on Tuesday, made four appearances for the Dodgers, giving up two runs and six hits in 3⅔ innings for a 4.91 ERA. The 33-year-old underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery last season.
“This is kind of the best-case scenario,” Roberts said. “There’s no structural damage. It’s just good that Brock flagged it early.”
Veteran right-hander Kirby Yates, out since July 29 because of lower-back pain, threw 18 pitches to four batters in a live batting practice session on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to begin a brief minor league rehabilitation stint this weekend.
“Everything was normal,” Yates, 38, said. “The split was pretty good. Got some swing-and-miss and a ground ball. All in all, it was a good day.”
Yates, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal last winter, is confident he can return to form as one of the team’s primary setup men in the final six weeks.
“I think taking time off to reset was probably the best option to be able to contribute down the stretch, get healthy and get back to being myself,” said Yates, who took a cortisone injection in his hip. “I want to be somebody that can be relied on in the ’pen.”
Michael Kopech (right knee inflammation) will start a rehab stint with a one-inning outing at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. But Roberts said there is only “a small, small chance” that Brusdar Graterol (right shoulder surgery) will pitch this season.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Dodgers began Wednesday night’s game in a place they had not been since April 27 – in second place in the National League West, a half-game behind the San Diego Padres, who walloped the San Francisco Giants, 11-1, in a Wednesday matinee.
The defending World Series champion Dodgers had been in first place for 3½ months and held a nine-game lead on July 3 but coughed it up by going 12-20 in 32 games before Wednesday.
“I mean, last year we had adversity, and we were able to overcome it,” Rojas said. “We didn’t win the division until the last week of the season, and I feel like that made us more prepared for the playoffs.
“Our main goal is to win the World Series, but we definitely have to worry about what’s going on right now. We’ve got 42 games left and have to focus on winning every single game. … We’ve been bad since early July, and we all know that. We have to be more consistent and get our team back on track.”
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are off on Thursday. They will open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres Friday night in Dodger Stadium.