The emergence of Max Muncy is not something that the Los Angeles Dodgers could have predicted, but to this point, he has been one of the best hitters on the team.
Muncy has batted leadoff for the Dodgers as well as second in the order, and has even proven his worth as a bat off the bench. In Sunday’s 6-1 victory over the San Diego Padres, Muncy was called on late as a pinch-hitter for Kiké Hernandez and then remained in the game to play first base.
In his second at-bat, Muncy launched a two-run home run to right field to extend the lead to 4-1. The home run was Muncy’s sixth of the season and gave him a team-leading 17 RBI in the month of May.
Muncy has played a lot of first base for the Dodgers since Justin Turner returned, shifting first baseman Cody Bellinger into center field. And he might see more time around the diamond in the near future.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team could begin playing Muncy at second base, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
There is a chance Max Muncy will play second base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts said.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) May 27, 2018
Second base isn’t completely foreign for Muncy, as he played 20 Major League games at the position while with the Oakland Athletics, in addition to 34 Minor League games throughout the course of his career.
With both of the Dodgers’ other second baseman, Logan Forsythe and Chase Utley, struggling at the plate, it makes sense to give Muncy a shot there to lengthen out the lineup.
As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.
