Los Angeles Dodgers’ hopes for a historic night were overshadowed by a concerning injury to Max Muncy. As the team aimed to witness Clayton Kershaw approach a milestone, Muncy suffered a painful knee injury during a play involving Chicago White Sox center fielder Michael A. Taylor.
Taylor, attempting to steal second base, slid directly into Muncy’s lower left leg, causing the 34-year-old third baseman to collapse in pain, clutching his knee. A trainer helped Muncy off the field, and he was seen limping significantly.
Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser informed viewers that Sportsnet LA opted not to show a replay of the incident due to its severity, noting that Muncy’s knee seemed to bend unnaturally. Following the game, the Dodgers confirmed that Muncy left due to left knee pain.
Later in the same at-bat, Kershaw achieved his 3,000th strikeout, becoming the 20th player in MLB history to enter this elite circle. While Muncy’s injury dampened the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw received an extended standing ovation between innings.
Taylor also exited the game shortly after, with the White Sox diagnosing him with a left trap contusion. Despite the injuries, the Dodgers secured a 5-4 victory over the White Sox, clinching the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Following the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism regarding Muncy’s condition. A significant injury could pose a major setback for the team, which has struggled to maintain a full roster throughout the season. Muncy’s performance had been notable enough to reach Phase 2 of the voting for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, narrowly losing the National League third-base spot to San Diego Padres star Manny Machado.
Although he did not secure a starting position, Muncy still has a strong chance of being selected as a reserve.
After a rocky start to the season, Muncy credited a visit to the eye doctor for his turnaround, which involved wearing glasses at the plate. His statistics dramatically improved from .194/.309/.301 with just one home run in 29 games to .286/.414/.553 with 12 home runs in 51 games entering Wednesday. In June, he ranked second in the majors in OPS at 1.113, trailing only Juan Soto.
As the team awaits further updates on Muncy’s injury, they may need to rely on Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas, and Hyeseong Kim at third base, with top-100 prospect Alex Freeland available at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
