Max Muncy was a late scratch from the Dodgers’ lineup on Wednesday night against the Angels due to a lingering issue.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a three-run home run in the eighth inning as Los Angeles Angels catcher Travis d'Arnaud (25) watches at Angel Stadium.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have their eyes fully set on the playoffs at this point in the season as they play out the final few months of the regular season before their World Series title defense really heats up. While playing their best baseball is certainly the primary objective for Dave Roberts and company, but staying healthy is close behind.

Ahead of a series finale in a California battle against the Los Angeles Angels, the Dodgers got some bad news on that front. Third baseman Max Muncy was scratched from the lineup due to some soreness in his side that he felt during batting practice before the game, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“Max Muncy was scratched because he felt soreness in his right side while in the cage today,” Chen reported on X, formerly Twitter. “He’ll have testing but doesn’t think it’s muscular.”

Alex Freeland got the start in place of Muncy on the hot corner as the Dodgers and Angels battle it out in Anaheim. However, it sounds like this is a relatively minor issue that shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup for too long.

Muncy isn’t quite the same lethal threat at the plate that he was back in his prime days, but he is still a key piece of this Dodgers lineup and Roberts and company will welcome him back as soon as he is ready to go. This season, the 34-year old has played in 89 games and is hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI.

The Dodgers are still doing plenty of damage even without Muncy in the lineup, as they currently hold a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning. Freeland has scored a run, so he is contributing to the cause in Muncy’s place.

If it can hold onto that lead, Los Angeles would avoid a stunning sweep at the hands of the Angels and get back in the win column after losing three in a row. The brief slump has allowed the San Diego Padres to take a slight lead over the defending champs in the NL West standings, but the Dodgers still have plenty of time to make up that ground.

Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate.