Chasing out of the strike zone has Dodgers’ Max Muncy slumping

CINCINNATI — In shot terms, Max Muncy has mislaid his superpower.

Over his past 35 games earlier Sunday, the Dodgers archetypal baseman has been mired successful a slump, batting .197 with a .275 on-base percent astir 100 points little than his vocation norm.

Muncy has continued to deed location runs (11 successful that time) but helium has stopped drafting walks — lone 12 successful 142 sheet appearances aft drafting a locomotion each 6.2 sheet appearances earlier this downturn. The walks person been replaced by strikeouts — 37 successful his past 127 at-bats including six successful 7 at-bats during the archetypal 2 games successful Cincinnati.

“No. 1 is he’s chasing more. It’s precise clear,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I deliberation helium has an elite quality to look implicit a shot and enactment successful the onslaught zone. The past 30 days he’s chased. He’s tally into immoderate homers which has been great. But I deliberation he’s much than a one-dimensional location tally hitter. He’s an on-base guy, uses the full field.”

Roberts did not connection an mentation for Muncy’s drift distant from his mean attack but helium did rise the anticipation that Muncy — who has been successful the NL MVP treatment — mightiness person go excessively alert of his statistics.

“You don’t ever privation to deliberation idiosyncratic is chasing numbers,” Roberts said. “I conscionable deliberation virtually and figuratively he’s chasing and he’s expanding. We’ve got to get him backmost successful the onslaught zone. That’s erstwhile he’s his best.”

Roberts replaced Muncy successful the starting lineup Sunday against Reds left-hander Wade Miley (against whom Muncy is 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts successful his career) with Albert Pujols (4 for 18 with 2 location runs disconnected Miley previously), hoping that the back-to-back days disconnected (the Dodgers are disconnected Monday) would springiness Muncy a accidental to “re-set.”

It is astir apt not coincidental that the Dodgers’ discourtesy arsenic a full has not been arsenic productive with Muncy slumping. First successful the National League and 2nd successful shot successful runs scored astatine the All-Star break, the Dodgers person dropped to eighth successful the National League and 15th wide since the break.

Roberts acknowledged that what Muncy brings to the Dodgers’ lineup is “very” essential. He pointed to past year’s postseason erstwhile “we saw his best.” Muncy deed .250 during the Dodgers’ World Series tally but had a .438 on-base percent acknowledgment to 20 walks successful 18 games. He drove successful 14 runs and scored 12.

“I bash cognize that his quality to get connected basal and thrust runs successful is what makes him special,” Roberts said. “You instrumentality what the pitcher gives you. And he’s gotten distant from that.

“He’s a top-of-the order, middle-of-the-order guy. What makes america peculiar is to beryllium capable to tally counts and to get connected basal and make postulation and he’s a large portion of that. So erstwhile he’s chasing and retired of the zone, it’s a large void. … The anticipation is helium volition get backmost to doing what makes him special.”

VAX UP

In a determination archetypal reported by Ken Rosenthal successful The Athletic, Major League Baseball has notified teams that each non-playing unit — managers, coaches and unit — indispensable person received astatine slightest 1 COVID vaccination changeable successful bid to beryllium allowed connected the tract oregon successful different restricted areas during the postseason.

The request could perchance forestall hitting oregon pitching coaches from moving straight with players if those coaches are unvaccinated.

The Dodgers reached the 85 percent threshold of Tier 1 unit (players, coaches and staff) vaccinated successful bid to person immoderate protocols relaxed earlier this season. However, erstwhile the squad went to the White House successful July hitting manager Robert Van Scoyoc wore a disguise and chap hitting manager Brant Brown did not attend.

“I cognize it’s not a occupation for maine personally. I’m vaxxed,” Roberts said. “We did get the memo. We’re going to person immoderate discussions. I don’t privation to talk specifically to immoderate coaches close now. But immoderate is asked of america we volition adhere to. We’ll instrumentality attraction of it.”

Roberts said emphatically helium does not expect the request being a occupation for the Dodgers.

“I don’t,’ helium said.

BELLINGER OUT

After revealing Saturday that outfielder Cody Bellinger had suffered a non-displaced fracture successful his near broadside earlier successful the week, Roberts said helium did not expect it to forestall Bellinger from playing and helium expected him to beryllium successful the lineup Sunday.

Bellinger was not successful the starting lineup Sunday.

“He’s feeling better. In talking to him yesterday, helium was hoping to beryllium capable to beryllium successful the starting lineup today,” Roberts said Sunday morning. “I talked to him this greeting and we consciousness similar with the disconnected time day it would payment him more. We’re going to effort and enactment distant from him but if we request to telephone connected him astatine immoderate constituent we’ll bash so.”

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are disconnected Monday.

Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias 18-3, 2.99 ERA) astatine Rockies (RHP Antonio Senzatela 4-9, 4.06 ERA) Tuesday 5:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM