Los Angeles Dodgers' veteran Max Muncy addressed his poor season at the plate ahead of Friday's contest against the Texas Rangers. Muncy has struggled offensively all year long and is really struggling to put it all together.

“[I'm] just trying to relax. I’m pressing so much right now, just trying to get back to the player that I know I can be. Because of that, I'm putting a little bit too much stress on myself, and I’m not able to relax in the box,” Muncy said. “I’m not able to just take nice, easy swings and let things happen. I’m trying to force things. We’re just trying to keep emphasizing that. Just relax.”

Muncy is hitting .188 with 22 home runs on the season. This is Muncy's third season in the last four years hitting under the dreaded Mendoza line. The infielder is an important part of the Dodgers roster construction, and the team needs him to get back to being a productive player at the dish if they are going to contend for a title.

The Dodgers got off to a slow start, but they've now climbed back to the top of the NL West. They lead the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants by 2 games. Los Angeles will certainly be in the mix when October comes around, with recent success stemming from excellent play from All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

The Dodgers take on the Rangers in a 3-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. That's the same stadium the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series in against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers hosted much of the 2020 MLB Playoffs in baseball's version of the infamous NBA Bubble.

Max Muncy also reflected on that experience, when the team spent well over a month living in isolation out of a hotel. “It's pretty special [to be back]. We had a good time here — a very unusual time here,” Muncy said. “A lot of us are enjoying it, a lot us have been giving Freddie [Freeman] crap over dropping the ball after being up 3-1 on us.”

The Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves in 7 games in the 2020 NLCS to advance to the World Series. At that time, Freeman was still a member of the Braves.

Like the Dodgers, the Rangers are right at the top of the sport, with baseball's fourth-best record. This weekend should be a great matchup between two of the best teams in the league. There's a chance the Dodgers are back in this stadium playing for a trophy in late-October once again.