Max Muncy’s Mysterious Knee Injury Sends Dodgers Into Uncertain Territory: What’s Really Going On?

Well, here’s a tough break for the Dodgers—their stalwart third baseman Max Muncy is sidelined for about six weeks, thanks to a bone bruise on his left knee. The injury happened in the heat of Wednesday’s electrifying walk-off triumph against the Chicago White Sox, when Michael Taylor of Chicago made a headfirst slide into third base, trying to steal, but alas, collided helmet-first with Muncy’s knee. The image of Muncy crumpling to the ground was so intense that SportsNet LA wisely chose to spare us a replay. Now, with Muncy limping off to recover and sporting a blue support wrap, Dodgers find themselves juggling an increasingly crowded injured list—13 players, to be exact. The team is feeling the sting of losing a key bat; after all, Muncy was cruising with a .333 average and racking up RBIs last month. Not exactly the news they wanted, but hey, he’s still aiming for a strong come-back within the season, and that silver lining is something to hold on to. More twists, turns, and insights are just around the corner—LEARN MORE.

The Dodgers will be without Max Muncy for approximately six weeks after the third baseman was placed on the injured list Thursday with what the team is calling a bone bruise in his left knee. Muncy was injured in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox when Chicago’s Michael Taylor slid headfirst into third on an unsuccessful attempt to steal third base.

The Dodgers now have 13 players on the injured list.

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Taylor’s helmet hit Muncy’s knee, bending it sideways and flipping the infielder to the ground. The collision was so gruesome, SportsNet LA, which was broadcasting the game, did not show replays. Muncy writhed on the ground in obvious pain before being helped to the clubhouse.

Muncy, who entered the Dodger clubhouse Thursday afternoon wearing a blue elastic support bandage on his left leg, said he originally feared the worst, but an MRI found no structural damage.

“It was tough news, but it was also great news,” he said. “I still get to play baseball this year instead of coming back next year around April. So it was kind of best-case scenario.”

Read more: ‘Super grateful’ Clayton Kershaw, Dodger teammates bask in glow of 3,000th strikeout

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Muncy, who said his knee felt stiff but not painful, was scheduled to meet the Dodger doctors later Thursday but said he intended to embark on an aggressive rehabilitation process.

“Everybody’s body is different,” he said. “You know, some guys heal extremely fast, some guys heal extremely slow. Traditionally, I’ve always healed fairly fast.”

Taylor also left the game with a shoulder contusion. The White Sox have listed his status as day to day.

Muncy’s place on the roster was taken by outfielder Esteury Ruiz, who was acquired on April 2 from the Athletics in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Carlos Duran. Ruiz appeared in 66 games for triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .292 with eight homers, 37 RBIs and 38 stolen bases.

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Muncy’s absence will leave a big hole in the Dodgers’ lineup. He led the team with a .333 average and 24 RBIs in June, when he matched Shohei Ohtani for the lead in home runs with seven. He is hitting .250/.375/.457 for the season and is third on the team with 55 RBIs.

“He’s huge,” pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who was on the mound when the injury happened, said of Muncy. “I don’t really know why he stole there. It just seemed unnecessary. We’re all holding our breath that Munc is going to be OK.

“He’s obviously a huge part of our team, especially the last two months.”

Miguel Rojas, who hasn’t played since injuring his left hand on an attempted steal Sunday, started at third base Thursday. Kiké Hernández, who took Muncy’s place Wednesday, is also likely to see some time at third in Muncy’s absence.

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Hernández is hitting .204/2.70/.383 while Rojas, primarily a second baseman, is batting .250/.289/.380.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.