Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy is expected to miss a few games after being hit on the right wrist with a pitch in the eighth inning of Friday night’s 5-1 loss against the host Milwaukee Brewers.

Muncy, 35, who was hitless in his first three at-bats, was hit with a 95.5 mph slider from reliever Aaron Ashby.

“The initial X-ray was negative, which was great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said following the game. “I think it got enough of the pad to protect it. He’ll be down for the next couple days just to make sure we get that swelling out. I think right now, we’re breathing a sigh of relief.”

Muncy is cautiously optimistic.

“I’m not feeling great right now, but it is a relief,” Muncy said. “We’ve just got to monitor it the next couple of days. Typically, especially in that area, the X-rays never come back positive immediately. It kind of forms a little bit.

“I’m pretty sure it half my wrist pad and then half my wrist. So me deciding to wear that wrist guard the last couple years might have saved my wrist.”

Santiago Espinal, who pinch ran for Muncy, is expected to start at third base Saturday, Roberts said.

Muncy, who leads the Dodgers with 12 homers, is hitting .258 with 19 RBIs in 48 games this season.

The two-time All-Star spent his first two seasons with the then-Oakland Athletics (2015-16), then joined the Dodgers as a free agent before the 2017 season. The three-time World Series champion with Los Angeles is a career .231 hitter with 226 home runs and 623 RBIs in 1,068 games.

–Field Level Media