Dodgers Injury Concerns Mount
Dodgers scratch Max Muncy and Dalton Rushing amid mounting injury concerns
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Key Points
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Max Muncy entered the game batting .245 with 26 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .826 OPS; he had also been selected to his first NL All-Star team in five years and set the Dodgers’ franchise record for home runs at Dodger Stadium.
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Los Angeles’ offensive slump has been pronounced: the Dodgers ranked last among National League teams in runs scored since July 1, with 231, and entered Saturday 4-6 over their previous 10 games after finishing August 13-14.
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Dalton Rushing had pinch-hit in each of the Dodgers’ four games since returning without a rehabilitation assignment, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts; his elbow injury is already expected to prevent him from catching again this season.
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Ohtani’s absence was tied to left-knee and right-biceps injuries, while Friday’s 5-3 win over Washington also came with Freddie Freeman out of the lineup.
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The Dodgers had entered Saturday with momentum from consecutive wins: Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts against Washington on Friday, while Kyle Tucker homered and Teoscar Hernández drove in two runs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched Max Muncy and Dalton Rushing roughly two hours before Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals, deepening the team's injury crisis as the postseason approaches. Yahoo Sports reported that Muncy was removed due to illness and is day to day, while Rushing's scratch reason was not immediately disclosed—though the young outfielder remains limited to hitting duties because of a partially torn right-elbow UCL. The dual absences, combined with Shohei Ohtani's third consecutive absence from left-knee and right-biceps injuries, left manager Dave Roberts scrambling to reshape an offense already struggling to score runs.
Kiké Hernández replaced Muncy at third base, while Alex Call and Teoscar Hernández filled the left-field and designated-hitter spots after Rushing's removal. USA Today noted the Dodgers entered Saturday 4-6 over their previous 10 games and ranked dead last among National League teams in runs scored since July 1, with just 231 total runs. The late scratches exposed the depth holes beneath Los Angeles' first-place NL West position.
Muncy's Illness Removes a Core Offensive Piece
Max Muncy entered Saturday batting .245 with 26 home runs and 68 RBIs for an .826 OPS. The veteran had recently been selected to his first All-Star team in five years and holds the Dodgers' franchise record for home runs at Dodger Stadium. Removing him for illness eliminates a key power source from the lineup.
Rushing's Elbow Limits Dodgers' Backup Options
Dalton Rushing has been reduced to a bench role after sustaining a partially torn right-elbow UCL. The injury will prevent him from catching again this season, leaving him available only as a left-handed designated hitter or pinch-hitter. Since returning without a rehabilitation assignment, Rushing had pinch-hit in four consecutive games, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, according to Yahoo Sports.
Rushing's scratch removes both a reserve bat and a contingency option for the designated-hitter role—a position already complicated by Ohtani's continued absence. The young player was supposed to add left-handed depth to the bench, but his elbow injury has confined him to a limited utility role that offers little relief when multiple position players go down simultaneously.
Offensive Slump Worsens as Postseason Nears
The Dodgers ranked last among National League teams in runs scored since July 1, with 231 total runs across nearly two months. USA Today reported that Los Angeles finished August 13-14 and entered Saturday with a 4-6 record over their previous 10 games. The concurrent absences of Muncy, Rushing, and Ohtani concentrate more offensive pressure on the remaining regulars at a critical moment in the season.
Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in Friday's 5-3 win over Washington, and Kyle Tucker homered while Teoscar Hernández drove in two runs. But the replacements for Saturday—Kiké Hernández, Alex Call, and the reshuffled lineup—offer shorter offensive resume than the players they replaced. The bench depth, which worked in isolation, now shows structural cracks when multiple injuries strike at once.
Ohtani Evaluated for Possible Injured List
Shohei Ohtani missed his third consecutive game due to left-knee and right-biceps injuries. Manager Dave Roberts planned to evaluate Ohtani after a batting-cage session to determine whether an injured-list stint was necessary. Freddie Freeman also sat out Friday's win, further widening the gap between the Dodgers' core talent and their current availability.
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