Dodgers' Max Muncy is already making powerful difference after return from injury

Max Muncy sure knows how to make a grand re-entrance. The 33-year-old slugger had been away from the LA Dodgers for over three months, all thanks to a right oblique strain with a nebulous return date attached, and fans certainly missed him.

Muncy was coming off a 2023 season where he drove in 105 runs (career high) and muscled 36 home runs (tied for a career high). With him in the mix of a lineup highlighted by Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández, it seemed like Los Angeles would affirm their status as the best offense on paper, whenever he returned.

Finally, Muncy made his way back to the lineup on Aug. 19, and he is already making a world of difference.

In his first two games back, Muncy delivered a clutch home run in each contest. On Aug. 19, he smacked a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Mariners to make it a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Then, on Aug. 20, Muncy splashed a solo home run to put the Dodgers within one run against Seattle in the fourth inning, which was capped by a classic Muncy bat flip. The Dodgers went on to win, 6-3, rallying from an early deficit.

Muncy going deep in back-to-back games marks his second time doing so this season. The other happened on April 10 and 12 against the Twins and Padres.

The last time Muncy cranked a home run on back-to-back days before this stretch was on Sept. 8 and 9 of last year against the Nationals.

Overall, in Muncy's first three games back with Los Angeles, he has six runs batted in, scored three times, roped two doubles and walked twice from the No. 7 spot in the order.

"When you got Max Muncy hitting seventh, that's saying something. For Max to come up in a big spot and homer gave us some breathing room," Dave Roberts told ESPN.

In 2024, Muncy has 11 home runs, 34 runs batted in, 23 walks, and 10 doubles in 43 games. He has a lifetime .350 on-base percentage, which the Dodgers are thrilled to insert once again into their loaded lineup.