Max Muncy out six weeks with knee injury in Dodgers crusher

Max Muncy appears to have avoided the worst with his scary knee injury, but the Dodgers star third baseman will still miss significant time.

Muncy, 34, told reporters Thursday he will be out about six weeks with a bone bruise he suffered in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the White Sox and that a MRI exam revealed no structural damage to his knee. 

“It was obviously amazing hearing the news that nothing was torn, nothing was ripped,” he said. “That was obviously a huge sigh of relief for me, but it still sounds like too long of a time in my head.”

The two-time All-Star got hurt in a collision at third base with White Sox center fielder Michael A. Taylor, who was sliding into the bag in an attempted steal. 

Muncy tagged out Taylor, but the third baseman’s knee caught Taylor’s helmet and he sprawled over in pain.

A Dodgers trainer was ultimately sent out to help Muncy off of the field.

“It was tough news, but it was also great news in terms of when you look at the play and just the injury that could have happened,” Muncy said.

Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw was just one strikeout away from the 3,000th of his career at the time of Muncy’s injury, punching out White Sox utility player Vinny Capra to secure the milestone moments later. 

“The first thought that was really going through my head was as I’m laying on the ground was, ‘Dang, I have to make Kersh sit there and think about stuff right now.’ I really was not happy about that,” Muncy said. “I’m in the X-ray room and heard the crowd roar and I was kind of like, ‘Man, missed it.’ Honestly, that was the most heartbreaking thing to me.”

Muncy is currently batting .250 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs this season for the Dodgers who hold a 55-32 record, good for an 8.5-game lead on the second-place Padres in the NL West.