The Dodgers entered the season with sky-high expectations, built to dominate the National League West and steamroll opponents with a star-studded roster. But as the dog days of summer set in, cracks are beginning to show. Tuesday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels didn’t just sting; it trimmed their once-comfortable lead in the division down to a single game.
The bigger issue? Their offense, once a relentless force, has gone cold. Reportedly, since June 1, the Dodgers are hitting just .240, striking out nearly a quarter of the time, and struggling to manufacture runs when it matters most. Hence, every series has started to feel like a grind, every scoring opportunity a rare commodity. And now, just as they search for answers at the plate, another storm cloud is gathering.
Amid this offensive crunch comes another gut punch. A new injury scare involving veteran slugger Max Muncy. And the latest development is coming from the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts.
“Max Muncy was scratched from the lineup with a right side injury. Dave Roberts said it happened in the cage as he began his pregame work – so they are playing it safe.” MLB insider Kirsten Watson quotes the latest development.
#Dodgers Max Muncy was scratched from the lineup with a right side injury. Dave Roberts said it happened in the cage as he began his pregame work – so they are playing it safe.
— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) August 13, 2025
Well, Dodgers’ third baseman was a late scratch from Wednesday’s game against the Angels after feeling some soreness in his right side during pregame batting practice. According to Roberts, Muncy will get more tests on Thursday’s off day, and for now, he’s considered day-to-day. But the timing couldn’t be worse for L.A., with a big three-game set against the Padres starting Friday.
Notably, Muncy had just returned last week after missing a month with a knee injury. And he’s been on fire since—batting .348 with a 1.401 OPS, 4 HRs, and a huge spark to the offense. Safe to say, this is a tough blow for the Dodgers right now.
Tough blow? Surely, it is.
With Muncy in the lineup this season, the Dodgers have been an offensive machine. They averaged 5.79 runs over his 89 games. Without him? That number drops down to 3.42 runs in the 31 games he’s missed. Hence, the Dodgers are crossing their fingers that he only sits out Wednesday and can return after Thursday’s off day for a huge showdown with the Padres.
For the unversed, the Padres just swept the Giants and now hold a slim half-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. Thus, making this weekend series even more critical. The Yankees already lost their podium, let’s see what it goes for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ injury list goes beyond Muncy
Just when Dodgers fans were starting to feel a little optimistic, with Roki Sasaki’s return getting closer and Blake Snell already back on the mound, the injury bug struck again. This time, the news is a gut punch: Tony Gonsolin is done for the season. Notably, Gonsolin hadn’t pitched since June 7 because of right elbow discomfort. But now he was revealed on Tuesday to have undergone pronator repair surgery on that elbow.
And that procedure will keep him out for the rest of 2025, erasing any hope of a late-season comeback.
But wait, the bad news didn’t stop there. Brock Stewart, the only high-leverage reliever the Dodgers landed at the trade deadline to shore up their struggling bullpen, is also hitting the injured list. Well, Stewart managed just four appearances in Dodger blue before being sidelined with shoulder inflammation. His absence is another major blow to a relief corps that’s already limping into the final stretch.
So, now with Stewart joining Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech, and Brusdar Graterol on the IL, that’s five of the Dodgers’ projected late-inning, high-leverage arms currently out of commission.
For a team with October aspirations and a bullpen already under heavy scrutiny, this latest wave of injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time. Moreover, it’s yet another reminder that, even with the postseason looming, the Dodgers can’t seem to shake the injury bug. It is forcing them to navigate the most critical stretch of the season with a roster still in flux.
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