By Bill Plunkett
LOS ANGELES 鈥 A year ago, Max Muncy was sidelined for 80 games with a rib injury.
The Dodgers replaced him at third base with spare parts 鈥 Kike鈥 Hernandez (60 starts at third), Chris Taylor (15), Cavan Biggio (13) and Miguel Rojas (eight). That group handled things well enough defensively. But their combined production while playing third base was a .206 batting average, nine home runs (seven by Hernandez) and 35 RBIs.
The plan this year is very similar. Tommy Edman has started working out at third base and the switch-hitter will play there against right-handed pitching beginning next week with Hyeseong Kim getting more starts at second base. Against left-handed pitchers, Hernandez and Rojas will split the starts at third base.
Edman has experience at third base. He played 94 games there during his seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals but none since 2022.
鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly his value,鈥 Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Edman鈥檚 versatility which has included playing shortstop, second base and center field since being acquired from the Cardinals last year. 鈥淭he character of Tommy being willing to do whatever is asked is partly a reason why we committed to him long-term (with a contract extension). The openness, the awareness of doing whatever the ballclub needs. As far as adjustment, I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to be much of an adjustment. I think a few days taking grounders, he should be fine.鈥
Offensively, Muncy will be difficult to replace 鈥 as he was last season. Over his last 31 games before the injury, Muncy batted .326 with an 1.133 OPS. Regardless of the production, Muncy also adds a unique element to the Dodgers鈥 lineup 鈥 he has averaged 4.3 pitches per plate appearance this season. Only one other Dodger 鈥 Will Smith (4.38) 鈥 averages more than 4.1.
鈥淪eeing pitches, the threat of a homer, certainly driving in runs, which he鈥檚 done 鈥 it has been shown and proven that when he鈥檚 not in the lineup, our offense tapers off,鈥 Roberts said. 鈥淚t just speaks to how valuable he is in our lineup, the threat of the at-bat quality. But in that middle part of the order, Andy (Pages) is gonna continue to do what he鈥檚 been doing. Teo (Hernandez) is gonna have to get back to being who he is, as an All-Star caliber player. And we鈥檙e gonna need that production from (Michael) Conforto. So it鈥檚 been good to see Michael show some life in the last two weeks.鈥
Muncy is expected back in six to eight weeks. The in-season trade deadline will arrive before that and the Dodgers are certain to be connected with potential third base replacements in trade speculation. Players like Nolan Arenado and Ryan McMahon could move before the deadline. But the Cardinals might be hesitant to move Arenado if they remain in wild-card contention and the Rockies could be reluctant to trade McMahon within the division.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that changes much, knowing the certainty of Max coming back at some point,鈥 Roberts said of trading for a temporary replacement. 鈥淚 feel with the options we have 鈥撯 yes, Max is a big loss 鈥撯 but I feel like on the defensive side, having Tommy over there matching up right versus left, as far as Hyeseong and the two right-handers I mentioned, I think we鈥檒l be covered offensively. So I don鈥檛 think that will really impact our thinking going into the deadline.鈥
GLASNOW RETURN
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow threw 78 pitches over 4鈪 innings in his third rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday and will rejoin the Dodgers鈥 rotation sometime next week.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a particular day yet,鈥 Roberts said. 鈥淏ut to see him back online next week at some point on the road, very feasible.鈥
Glasnow made just five starts, pitching a total of 18 innings, before going on the injured list with shoulder pain at the end of April.
Meanwhile, Blake Snell and Blake Treinen are scheduled to throw live BP to hitters for a second time on Saturday. Treinen will throw one inning, Snell two. A rehab assignment would be the next likely step with Snell expected to make a start in the minors and pitch two innings on Thursday.
Snell will likely follow the same rehab plan as Glasnow and make three starts in the minors before being ready to rejoin the Dodgers鈥 rotation. He made just two starts at the start of the season before going on the IL with a shoulder injury.
Whenever the Dodgers and Houston Astros share the field, it brings back memories of the tainted 2017 World Series. But Roberts said that experience is no longer on his mind when facing the Astros.
鈥淣ot at all,鈥 he said. 鈥淐ertainly, there鈥檚 been some history with our organizations. But if you look at it in reality, most of those guys are gone. So it certainly doesn鈥檛 have any bearing on this series this weekend. It鈥檚 a good ball club over there, and they鈥檙e trying to win.鈥
Only two players are remaining on each active roster who participated in the 2017 World Series 鈥 Clayton Kershaw (who will not pitch this weekend) and Kike鈥 Hernandez with the Dodgers and Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. with the Astros.
Fans clearly remember. The introduction of the Astros鈥 lineup was greeted with loud boos and when Altuve came to the plate in the first inning the boos got louder and chants of 鈥淐heater鈥 could be heard.
Shohei Ohtani will make his fourth start as a pitcher on Saturday. He is expected to pitch two innings as he did in his most recent outing.
Astros (LHP Framber Valdez, 9-4, 2.72 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 2.25 ERA), Saturday, 4:15 p.m., FOX, 570 AM