Dodgers Announce Max Muncy Injury Update After Scary Collision

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was forced to exit Thursday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after being involved in a scary collision at first base.

Muncy collided with Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas trying to beat out a play at first base, and both players were down for several minutes before exiting the game.

The Dodgers have now announced that Muncy exited Thursday’s game with shortness of breath and to rule out a concussion. Manager Dave Roberts should have a more substantial update on him after the game.

Muncy hit a hard ground ball down the line at first base that Vargas was able to field. Then, it was a race to first base, with both players running at full speed.

In the end, the players collided in a scary scene at Chase Field. Both players were ultimately able to walk off the field under their own power.

This is the second fluke injury for Muncy in the last couple weeks, as he was out for several games after getting hit on the hand by a 95.5 mph sinker against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Muncy left the team’s game on May 22, and wasn’t back in the starting lineup until May 27.

Despite the unfortunate injury luck, Muncy is having another incredible season in 2026. The 35-year-old is slashing .254/.347/.513 with 14 home runs, 22 RBIs and an OPS of .860. He’s also become a plus-defender at third base, ranking in the 95th percentile in MLB with plus-5 Outs Above Average.

Who Would Replace Max Muncy if He’s Injured?

The Dodgers will hope that the injury looked worse than it was. If Muncy is forced to miss time, it would be yet another injury to a key piece of the Dodgers lineup over the last few weeks.

The Dodgers lost Kik Hernndez to a strained oblique just two days into his return from offseason elbow surgery.

That same week, Teoscar Hernndez suffered a hamstring strain, and he was then placed on the IL for what will likely be at least a four-week stint.

Santiago Espinal, who replaced Muncy on Thursday, is currently the team’s backup third baseman. Miguel Rojas also has plenty of experience playing third base.

Tommy Edman, who is currently on a rehab assignment at Triple-A, also has third base experience. It’s currently unclear how far away he is from a return, though.

Alex Freeland can play third base, too, but then the Dodgers wouldn’t have a second baseman unless they called up Hyeseong Kim.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Announce Max Muncy Injury Update After Scary Collision.

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