Dodgers' Max Muncy lands on IL again with oblique strain

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy landed on the injured list Friday for the second time this season, creating a platoon situation at third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 34-year-old infielder has a Grade 1 right oblique strain, which was revealed in an MRI on Thursday. He was a late scratch from a recent game with soreness in his right side.

Manager Dave Roberts said the injury isn’t season-ending, but Muncy will be out “absolutely longer than the 10 days.”

“It’s certainly a tough loss," Roberts said. “Guys just got to continue to perform to their abilities. It’s hard to kind of backfill Max, what he brings as far as the plate discipline, the slug, the on-base, all that stuff.”

Muncy is hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs in 89 games. He hit his 200th career homer on May 31. He came off the IL on Aug. 4 after having a knee injury.

The Dodgers claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and he was set to join the team later Friday. The 26-year-old had one hit in five games for the Blue Jays. He's been in the majors for parts of four seasons with Arizona, Detroit, Philadelphia and Toronto.

“Scrappy,” Roberts said about Kennedy, “but don't know a whole lot about him.”

Kennedy and Alex Freeland will split time at third in Muncy's absence. Freeland, who is batting .176, got the start Friday against the San Diego Padres.

The defending World Series champions have three relievers who are close to coming off the IL: Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott and Michael Kopech.

Yates will throw a bullpen session Saturday and then go on a rehab assignment. Scott tossed a bullpen Friday while Kopech is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Position players Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández are just starting baseball activities, while Hyeseong Kim has yet to go out on a rehab assignment.

Rookie Roki Sasaki (right shoulder impingement) struggled in his first outing since May 9. The right-hander needed 41 pitches to record six outs Thursday for Oklahoma City. He gave up six hits, walked one and didn't have any strikeouts.

Sasaki's fastball velocity averaged 93.6 mph and topped out at 95.7 mph. That was lower than the 96-97 mph he averaged in a three-inning simulated game last Friday.

“It was a little surprising," Roberts said. “I wouldn’t say worried but the expectation is that he gets into the upper 90s. It was his first one and I want to talk to him personally to kind of get a little bit more background on that.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB