The Los Angeles Dodgers have revealed some devastating injury news ahead of their matchup with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, as they will be placing third baseman Max Muncy on the injured list due to a right oblique strain, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Just as the Dodgers were getting outfielder Jason Heyward back from his own injury, Muncy hits the injured list. Talk about terrible timing for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles was also in the process of calling up top prospect Miguel Vargas, so the club needed to open up two roster spots in order to make room for both Heyward and Vargas. There were rumblings that the club could DFA utility man Chris Taylor, but now with Muncy going to the IL, the Dodgers' decision got easier.

The team ended up optioning outfielder James Outman and relief pitcher Nick Ramirez. They activated Heyward and also officially called up Vargas and pitcher Ricky Vanasco, per Ardaya.

Muncy was slashing .223/.323/.475 with nine home runs and 28 RBI over 167 plate appearances before getting injured. However, he was mired in a miserable 1-for-25 slump and had gone without a homer in his last seven games.

Max Muncy is a big reason for the Dodgers' top-flight offense

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates after hitting a grand slam in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's not always pretty when Muncy is at the plate. After all, he is a lifetime .227 hitter, and he is prone to the strikeout. But one cannot understate his important to the Dodgers' offense.

Muncy began his career with the Oakland Athletics back in 2015, but was eventually released by the club in 2017 after struggling over his first couple of seasons. He went on to sign with Los Angeles as a free agent in April 2017, and he hasn't looked back since.

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He made his LA debut in 2018 and flashed immense potential, slashing .263/.391/.582 with 35 long balls and 79 RBI across 481 trips to the dish. The following year, Muncy made the All-Star team after registering a slash line of .251/.374/.515 while smashing 35 dingers and driving in 98 runs.

After a rather subpar season in 2020, which was abbreviated by the pandemic, Muncy bounced back in 2021, slashing .249/.368/527 with 36 home runs and 94 RBI en route to another All-Star selection.

The last couple of years, Muncy has had a lot more difficulty making contact, as he batted .196 in 2022 and hit just .212 last season. However, he finished with 36 long balls and a career-high 101 RBI in 2023, flashing an OPS of .808.

It's possible that the 33-year-old may be showing signs of decline, but he still brings a whole lot of pop to the Dodgers' lineup.

Los Angeles is second in the majors in batting average, first in OPS, third in home runs and No. 1 in runs scored thus far in 2024. Muncy has been a huge part of that.

The Dodgers got off to a rather rough start this season, going 12-11 early on. It was particularly disappointing given the fact that Los Angeles added Shohei Ohtani and Japanese pitching phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency. Since then, though, LA has gone 17-6 and is now 29-17 on the year overall.

The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West and held a seven-game lead over the San Diego Padres heading into Friday's action.