Much-Needed Reinforcements Set to Arrive For Injury-Riddled Dodgers This Week
With less than 40 games remaining, the Los Angeles Dodgers expect a pair of healthy bodies to return to the lineup as the Seattle Mariners come to town for a three-game set beginning Monday.
Max Muncy (right oblique) and Tommy Edman (wrist surgery, ankle sprain) are slated to be activated from the injured list ahead of the club’s series opener against the Mariners, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday, including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
Muncy has been sidelined since May 15th after experiencing multiple setbacks in his recovery from an oblique injury. He played six rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma, going 6-for-21 (.286) with two extra-base hits (one home run) and four RBIs, earning three walks and six strikeouts.
The 33-year-old – inked a two-year, $24-million extension last November – took ground balls at first base Sunday amidst the uncertainty surrounding Freddie Freeman, who’s scheduled to undergo a CT scan Monday on his injured finger.
Before landing on the 60-day IL, Muncy had been hitting .223/.323/.475, blasting nine home runs while driving in 28 runs across 40 games. Last season, the left-handed-hitting infielder tied a career-high with 36 round-trippers and set a new one in RBIs with 105.
Edman, who’s yet to play a single game all season, was acquired by the Dodgers as part of a three-team trade between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox last month.
The 29-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist last fall to address an issue that had plagued him throughout the 2023 campaign. He hoped to be ready for spring training, but his rehab process proved more extensive than previously anticipated.
Then came an ankle sprain that delayed his rehab assignment for a week and a half around the All-Star break. Overall, he’s participated in 14 minor-league games this season, eight with the Cardinals organization and six with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, slashing .239/.368/.326 with one home run and eight RBIs.
Last season’s wrist ailment significantly hindered Edman’s offensive production, leading to one of the worst statistical performances of his five-year big-league career, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
The switch-hitting outfielder finished with career worsts in AVG (.248) and OBP (.307) while posting his second-lowest SLG (.399) and wRC+ (91) over 137 contests. He also accounted for just 2.4 fWAR, the worst rating of his career outside of 2020.
Now healthy, Edman will likely spend most of his reps in centre field, a position currently occupied by Kevin Kiermaier, who was also acquired ahead of last month’s trade deadline. But, he could also provide versatility in the infield, given his prior experience at second base, third base and shortstop.
Los Angeles’ coaching staff will be able to add Muncy and Edman into the lineup just one week after Mookie Betts – now playing right field instead of shortstop – returned from an extended IL stint. There’s more positive news on the pitching front, with right-hander Blake Treinen (hip discomfort) slated to be activated on Tuesday.
Those reinforcements could prove significant for the Dodgers, who enter Monday’s slate with a slim lead over the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the NL West at three and four games, respectively.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: David. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.