The Los Angeles Dodgers gave fans a little bit of everything in the emotion department in Friday night’s flattening of the Texas Rangers.
For starters, Clayton Kershaw delivered a vintage performance. The Dodgers ace allowed one unearned run and three hits while striking out nine batters (four of which came in one inning), over six innings of work.
He picked up his eighth win of the year and lowered his ERA to 3.39.
The offense, meanwhile, stayed hot and manufactured 12 runs, five of which came via the home run, which marked a new season-high for the Dodgers. For those curious, Los Angeles’ previous high came back in April when they smacked four HRs vs Colorado.
For as compelling as those storylines were, however, the Dodgers failed to escape the lopsided win without any concerns on the injury front, as sluggers Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger were both forced to leave the game with injuries.
So, what’s the level of concern with the Dodgers’ two stars?
Should Dodgers fans be concerned about Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger?
Unless the Dodgers are just downplaying these injuries as a means to avoid panicking the fan base (or if they’re simply awaiting further tests), it would appear Muncy and Bellinger will avoid long-term spells on the sidelines.
Muncy, who helped the Dodgers set the tone with a two-run homer in the first inning, left the game shortly thereafter with what was described as right side tightness.
The Dodgers are confident Muncy isn’t dealing with an oblique injury, which is huge given how tricky those can be. Either way, Muncy will likely be held out of the lineup for a day or two, especially since he just returned to the fold after recovering from a sore right ankle he suffered on June 4 vs the Braves.
The same level of optimism can seemingly be expressed towards Bellinger, who left Friday night’s game with left hamstring tightness. The Dodgers are calling it a day-to-day injury, but fans will no doubt be hoping it doesn’t linger for the former MVP.
After all, Bellinger has appeared in just 12 games since completing his recovery from a hairline fracture in his left leg. He managed a hit in five of his last six contests, and another stint on the injured list could derail all of that momentum.
Based on manager Dave Roberts’ comments, it sounds like the level of concern regarding Muncy’s and Bellinger’s injuries is extremely minimal, which is huge news considering all the injuries the Dodgers have dealt with over the first two months of the season.
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