Max Muncy’s strained right oblique muscle has proven to be quite costly, not only because the injury will keep him out for at least two months, but also because the Dodgers have accomplished almost nothing from third base without him.
Muncy is with the team in San Francisco increasing his baseball activities, but is out until after the All-Star break, meaning the Dodgers still have two weeks of games to fill the position.
Next up is Chris Taylor, who starts at third base for the Dodgers on Sunday in San Francisco, just his third start at the position this season. Taylor had a terrible start to the season but showed signs of life in June, getting at least one hit in each of his last six starts. In that time, including some games on reserve — like his RBI single in the 11th inning on Saturday — Taylor has hit 8 for 23 with two extra-base hits after starting the season on an 8 for 84 spree.
Taylor told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson on Sunday that he and hitting coaches have made some mechanical improvements to his swing that have helped him feel more comfortable at bat in recent weeks.
“To be honest, it feels like two and a half years of hard work, basically since 2022. I feel like I’ve been constantly searching and changing and trying to find something that allows my approach to use the whole field,” Taylor said Sunday, as shown on SportsNet LA. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself. It’s very early. I wouldn’t say I’m set by any means, but to feel like myself again and to be able to think right-center like I’ve always wanted to has been refreshing.”
In the 39 games since Muncy’s last appearance, the Dodgers’ third basemen posted a horrific .153/.221/.219 batting average with a 27.3 percent strikeout rate. There were a few Taylors and Miguel Rojas, but most of the time without Muncy was spent at third base by Kiké Hernández (88 batting appearances) and Cavan Biggio (34 PA).
The left-handed Biggio was brought in on June 12 to take the spotlight off the right-handed Hernández, but both have been near replacement level this season. Saturday was a microcosm of the weaknesses of both, who combined to fail to get a hit in six at-bats. Biggio hit a bunt and botched a grounder that was ruled a single, while Hernández got into a double play and made a throwing error.
“For me, it’s performance that counts and I think opportunities should be created. I’m going to give him some room at third base,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday at Oracle Park in San Francisco, as seen on SportsNet LA. “He deserves a look and his last few weeks speak to that.”
At the last home game, Roberts said that Miguel Vargas, who played a lot of third base in the minors but did not play in a game this year and only played in 20 games last year, was not a candidate for the position despite his offensive potential.
“I know he was just hitting grounders there to train his hands and feet,” Roberts said a week ago. “But right now, at this moment, he’s going to focus on playing left field against left-handed pitchers.”
But the Dodgers needed to do something at third base, and the bar to clear at this point is basically the floor, so Taylor gets a chance to continue his winning streak.
