On July 2, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season almost took a disastrous turn. Third baseman Max Muncy collided with White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor at third base. Muncy was left writhing on the ground in pain. An MRI, thankfully, resulted in what team trainers told was the “best-case scenario” — a bone bruise in his left knee, with no ligament damage. Muncy himself set the initial recovery timeline. He then told reporters that he expected to be sidelined for “about six weeks,” establishing a public target for a mid- to late August return. But recent rumors began to float around that Muncy’s injury could be season-ending.
However, on Friday, manager Dave Roberts made a big announcement that reversed the entire narrative. In a recent tweet by Dodger Insider, Roberts confirmed that Muncy is progressing much faster than expected. He said Muncy’s return is “going to be a lot sooner than anticipated. He’s now swinging a bat, as well as jogging and throwing.” It is a very positive turn, and of course, it gives a huge lift to the club. But why is this news so important for the club?
Dave Roberts said Max Muncy’s return is going to be a lot sooner than anticipated. He’s now swinging a bat, as well as jogging and throwing.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) July 18, 2025
When the MRI report was revealed, a wave of relief swept through the organization. GM Brandon Gomes said his first reaction was a “coping mechanism.” “In my head, it was like, ‘OK, he’s done for the year. We’re gonna have to figure out what the next path is,” he said. Muncy himself described the news as a “big sigh of relief.” But the worst part of it was that he’d missed Clayton Kershaw’s latest historic moment. “The first thought… going through my head as I’m laying on the ground,” Muncy recalled, “was, ‘Dang, I have to make Kersh sit there and think about stuff right now.’”
That positive storyline took a turn for the dark just over a week later. As the Dodgers’ offense struggled, Roberts delivered a far more cautious update. He cautioned that the injury could “linger into next year,” based on his own experience. “I’ve had those,” Roberts said, “and there’s certainly a point where you can play, but then there’s still the part of to the touch, it still gets sensitive. So I think that’s going to be around for a while, unfortunately.” This worrisome update stoked end-of-season speculation.
But behind the scenes, the reports were already beginning to sound more positive. Roberts reported on July 12 that coach Brandon McDaniel passed along an update. He described Muncy as “trending really well” with the injury and said, “Muncy was already on the bike, his spirits are up, he’s moving around.” This created a confusing picture for fans. The public message was bleak, but the internal progress reports told a very different story.
The difference in updates shows a clear pattern. It was a calculated communication strategy to manage expectations during a tough stretch.
Understanding the injury: Precedent and performance
Bone bruises are infamously unpredictable, and so is the up-and-down theme to the timeline. The Dodgers have recent experience in this. Catcher Will Smith had a bone bruise on his ankle during the 2024 season, and he was still feeling it in 2025 Spring Training. On the other hand, Angels star Mike Trout missed only about a month with a similar knee bone bruise earlier this season. Those two examples also represent the expansive and uncertain recovery spectrum.
And Muncy was red-hot before his injury. He got off to a slow start to the season, but soon became one of the league’s most dangerous hitters. In the 45 games from May 7 until the injury, Muncy was playing beyond imagination. He hit a spectacular .304 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs. During that hot streak, his OPS was 1.009. He was more than just an All-Star.
Losing that engine had an immediate and devastating impact on that line. In the midst of Muncy’s hot streak, the Dodgers’ offense was unstoppable, scoring an average of 5.78 runs per game. That average has fallen to only 3.0 runs a game in the games since he was hurt. Despite this, Roberts expressed public confidence in his roster: “I don’t think that changes much… I feel with the options we have – yes, Max is a big loss – but I feel like… we’ll be covered offensively.”
The club has managed without Muncy in part because of its star-studded infield depth. The plan has included a platoon at third base. It maximizes the defensive skills of players such as Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas, and Enrique Hernández. This has also opened up room for Hyesong Kim at second base. And now the current update from the skipper holds more promise.
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