Max Muncy fell to the ground after a 95.5-mph sinker hit his right wrist in the eighth inning. That single pitch could just put his future with the Dodgers at risk.

He is 35 years old and in the final year of his contract. A major injury right now could force the front office to think about keeping him for next season. The injury setback also comes at a time when the San Diego Padres are hot on the heels of the Dodgers and just one game behind in the standings.

Muncy yelled as soon as the pitch hit his wrist and left the field reeling in pain. Usually, players try to sound positive after an injury. However, he gave an honest assessment, which might pinch the hopefuls. “Well, not feeling great right now, but that is a relief. We just have to monitor the next couple of days, typically, especially in that area,” Muncy said.

“The X-rays never come back positive immediately. It kind of forms a little bit, but I’m pretty sure it hit half my wrist pad and then the other half of my wrist. I obviously haven’t looked at it yet, but that’s kind of what I was feeling. It might have saved my wrist at least tonight. It was 98 on the wrist; it hurt really, really bad.”

The injury could have been far more severe had Muncy not worn those wrist guards. “Me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple of years might have saved my wrist, at least tonight,” he said.

While the negative X-ray generated some hopes among the fans, Muncy fears the impact could be far-reaching, considering he was hit in the exact spot before.

“I’ve been hit in that spot before, and I’ve broken that spot before,” Muncy said. Back in 2019, Muncy suffered a fractured right wrist after being hit by a pitch. That fracture forced him to miss roughly two weeks of the late-season schedule.

Muncy fears the consequences of taking a second hit to the same spot. He knows that if the pain worsens and cracks form over time, the injury could sideline him for weeks. Wrist injuries are very tough for older power hitters. They can ruin a player’s bat speed and take months to heal. Losing that much time right before free agency could force LA to move on from him.

For the Dodgers, Muncy’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. This year, he has been the most productive batter for the team. Entering Friday, he led the Dodgers with 12 homers and was hitting .258, .363 OBP, .515 slugging percentage, .878 OPS, and a 147 wRC+. Moreover, Friday also proved how the Dodgers could struggle due to the absence of Max Muncy.

They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Nine runners were left stranded. That’s a scary picture of what’s coming next for the team with Muncy nowhere in the dugout for now.

Max Muncy just made the Dodgers’ injury scene scarier

The Dodgers’ headache doesn’t stop with replacing Max Muncy, but it adds to their already scary-looking injury list. Currently, the Dodgers have a long list of injuries.

Tommy Edman is currently on the 60-day IL recovering from offseason ankle surgery. He has been running at full strength and is nearing live at-bats and rehab assignments with a target return in June. Kike Hernandez has been on the 60-day IL recovering from a February elbow surgery. He is completing a rehab assignment in Triple-A and is eligible to be activated.

And the worst part is Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith’s cold stretch. Ohtani has managed to hit 8 homers so far, while Smith is hitting .246.

Now, if Muncy is out for a long time, the Dodgers need to shake up their lineup, and we can expect a few promotions from the minors. Maybe someone like Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope. If Friday is any indication, the fans would just hope to get Muncy back as soon as possible.