The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without slugging third baseman Max Muncy for approximately six weeks following a bone bruise in his left knee suffered during a scary collision at third base. While initial reactions feared the worst—possibly a season-ending injury—the final diagnosis came as a relative relief: no ligament damage, and a realistic return around mid-August.
“It’s the best-case scenario,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who added that the team won’t be rushing Muncy’s return. “There’s nothing pressing. We’re in a good spot.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Injury Timing and Strategic Patience

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The timing, while unfortunate for Muncy—who was in the midst of a strong offensive run—has been described by some as fortuitous for the Dodgers. With the team holding an MLB-best 56–33 record and an eight-game cushion in the NL West, there’s breathing room.
General Manager Brandon Gomes emphasized the team’s long view: “Even if [Muncy’s recovery] is way slow, you have a full month of baseball before we hit the playoffs,” he told The Los Angeles Times. “So we’re giving him that time to get back into a good place.”
Publicly, both Gomes and Roberts dismissed the notion that Muncy’s absence would force a shift in MLB trade deadline priorities. Whether that’s strategic misdirection or genuine confidence in internal depth remains to be seen, but it’s clear the Dodgers are content to evaluate from within for now.
Internal Options Taking the Stage
Tommy Edman is expected to take over most of the starts at third base against right-handed pitching, with Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas filling in versus lefties. Edman, who last played the position regularly with the Cardinals in 2022, has been preparing for the role in practice. “It’s a lot of the same concepts—footwork, getting behind your throws,” said Roberts.
Meanwhile, the injury opens up more consistent playing time at second base for rookie Hyeseong Kim, who’s hitting an impressive .360/.406/.506 in limited at-bats.
Muncy’s Comeback and MLB Trade Deadline Unknowns
Muncy’s return could be crucial to the Dodgers’ postseason push. After a sluggish start to the season, he had surged to a .832 OPS with 13 homers and 55 RBIs before the injury. If he returns healthy, he could provide a significant offensive jolt.
Still, bone bruises are notoriously unpredictable, and a slow recovery—or any setback—could push L.A. to reconsider its trade strategy ahead of the July 31 deadline.
For now, though, Roberts made it clear: “Knowing the certainty of Max coming back at some point—I don’t think that will really impact our thinking going into the deadline.”