Max Muncy's perfect response to future with Dodgers hits different after injury

In the early goings of the 2025 season, Los Angeles Dodgers fans felt like they were watching the end of an era for a franchise staple. But Max Muncy has flipped the script.

Muncy, 34, slashed .191/.310/.305 through May 14. He had just two homers on the season and racked up strikeouts at a torrid pace. His poor start had LA's front office thinking it may need to trade for a third baseman ahead of the upcoming deadline.

Those concerns have since passed. Muncy has been one of the Dodgers' hottest hitters over the last month, and he looks just like his old self again, if not better. Muncy is batting .330/.444/.691 with 10 homers over his last 30 games, and his full-season line is up to .250/.375/.457 over 81 games.

Muncy's slow start had his name among trade and retirement speculation from Dodgers fans and experts alike. He was unbothered, though, which could've been the secret to his success.

Max Muncy shares nonchalant response to Dodgers trade deadline rumors, questions about his future with the club

“No. At this point in my career, no. If I was younger, it definitely would be in my head,” Muncy said to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. “At this point, I’ve accomplished a lot. I’ve been able to do almost all of it in a Dodgers uniform and that’s something that’s very special to me. Obviously I’ve made it very clear I want to retire as a Dodger. But that’s not always in your hands."

Couldn't be a better "veteran" way to do view the situation. And though, at the time, Dodgers fans viewed this as a refreshing response, it now all hits different after Muncy suffered a concerning knee injury on Wednesday night. It could very well put his Dodgers future in jeopardy.

Muncy has a club option on his contract for the 2026 season, which are rarely exercised unless the price is absoutely right. If the Dodgers don't opt in to Muncy's option, he'll hit the free agent market as a 35-year-old, and his dreams of retiring a Dodger may not come to fruition, especially if LA trades for a young, controllable third baseman at the deadline should his injury affect his availability for the remainder of 2025.

But if Muncy can bounce back and treat his potential impending free agency with the same nonchalance as the Dodgers' trade rumors, he could play his way into the club option or, even better, another contract/extension. His veteran experience and ability to handle pressure has already earned him a ticket to the second round of NL All-Star voting with just a month of a hot streak under his belt.

The Dodgers have gone as Muncy has — they've pulled ahead in a formerly neck-and-neck-and-neck NL West race with the Padres and Giants in the month that he's been raking. Hopefully, his recent success isn't just a streak, but the establishment of an indifferent alter-ego for Muncy (assuming his knee doesn't derail his rhythm).