Dave Roberts Issues Critical Update on $24M Star After Scary HBP as Playoff Tension Rises

This season, the Dodgers slugger has been in the IL more than on the plate. So, this week was supposed to be the return that steadies after missing 23 games since mid-August because of an oblique injury. However, when he got hit again, tension crept back into the Dodgerland, leaving with one question: how bad is it? The Skipper, Dave Roberts, has finally provided an update.

After the game, while talking to the media, Dave Roberts was asked about Max Muncy‘s injury. He said, “I expect him to be in there tomorrow.” The manager further explained, “Where he got hit … he just felt unsure about throwing the ball across the diamond in a tight ballgame. So I thought it was smart to get him out of there and get treated on it, and hopefully be in there tomorrow.” And when asked about the X-ray results, he said, “negative.”

Muncy, the Dodgers’ third baseman who inked a 2-year deal in 2023 of $24M, had just come off the IL on September 8 after losing time with a strained right oblique. In his third game back, on Friday against the Giants, he walked up to the plate in the top of the eighth inning to face Giants lefty Joey Lucchesi. He took a sinker that was going 92.2 mph off his right hand and wrist. The impact was immediate and concerning—the moment it hit his wrist, he was in so much pain that he had to leave the plate.

So, that’s a relief with the playoffs looming closer, and each player’s contribution matters. But let’s not forget the injury history Muncy has.

Muncy’s 2025 campaign reads like a medical chart more than a baseball card. Earlier this season, on July 3rd, he had a nasty crash at third base that hurt his left knee, and he was diagnosed with a bone bruise. Due to that, he was on IL till 4th August. Just when things seemed to be stabilizing, he went back on the IL on August 15 with a Grade 1 right oblique strain and didn’t play until September 8. And now barely three games into his return, here we are again with an HBP.

Losing Muncy would be a headache for Dave Roberts, especially at the stage where every swing matters the most. He has a .253 batting average, 17 home runs, and 64 RBIs this season, and before he went on the IL, he had a terrific OPS of .866. He is not just any hitter. Muncy is an All-Star and someone who was part of the Dodgers when they won the World Series in 2020 and 2024.

Even Dave Roberts understands what he brings to the table. As he mentioned, “Just taking a quality at-bat, obviously adds length to our lineup, another left-handed hitter who could just do some things, and provide some slug, some on-base, the ability to get a hit, and just again, lengthens our lineup. Really good add.” With October coming up quickly, having a healthy lineup makes all the difference.

For the Dodgers, Friday night didn’t only come with the Muncy loss, but they also lost the game…

Muncy exit precedes walk-off slam, Dodgers bats go cold

The Giants beat the Dodgers 5–1 in 10 innings at Oracle Park. With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Patrick Bailey hit a walk-off grand slam off Tanner Scott. Michael Conforto hit a home run in the seventh inning, making the score 1-1 up to that point.

The Dodgers only scored one run besides Conforto’s home run. They left nine runners on base and went zero for five with runners in scoring position. Conforto’s home run was almost the only thing that got the bats going on a night when they basically slept.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a great game, going seven innings and striking out ten batters while giving up only one run. But the bullpen couldn’t hold up after him. And then comes the 10th inning and Tanner Scott.

He stepped in to pitch in the 10th inning to keep the game tied, but instead he fired a 1-0 pitch that Patrick Bailey hit into the left-field seats for a walk-off grand slam. Scott didn’t get any outs in that frame. He let up the slam after putting a runner on base with a walk and then intentionally walking another runner to fill the bases.

And when asked from Dave Roberts about the Scott he said, “the result certainly doesn’t feel good, doesn’t change anything, but, you know, he’s going through it right now and we just got to continue to, you know, try to give him confidence and even when the time’s right, run him out there and expect good things to happen and expect it to turn.“

Friday was a mix that reminded everyone why October baseball needs both health and execution. There were injury scares and blown leads. Roberts said that his $24M slugger should be back on Saturday. So the question now is whether the Dodgers can hold on to leads when it matters most?