Max Muncy says he has a torn UCL in his left elbow

Max Muncy revealed an important detail of his left elbow injury that knocked him out of the postseason. In an interview with Alanna Rizzo on ‘High Heat’ on MLB Network on Monday, Muncy said he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.

“It’s a little slow. I’m not recovering as quick as I would like, but that’s what happens when you do some serious damage to your body,” Muncy said. A torn UCL is a slow process, but we’re coming back. Everything is going to plan, and thankfully it is the offseason so we can come back from that.”

Muncy hurt the elbow on a play at first base against the Brewers on October 3, the final day of the regular season. Two days later, manager Dave Roberts said there was no UCL tear, but that more tests were pending.

“I did dislocate my elbow on the play, and it did pop back in while I was rolling on the ground. There was some other damage in there,” Muncy said on October 5. “We’re going to know more in the next couple days about that, but that was a very scary moment. It definitely felt like my arm wasn’t there, but thankfully things aren’t as bad as what they could have been.”

Muncy and the Dodgers were otherwise quiet regarding his injury during the playoffs, even pushing the pretense that he might eventually be available in some future postseason round. That never happened, nor was it realistically expected.

What this means for Muncy’s readiness at the start of 2022 remains to be seen. Just how long will what he referred to as “a slow process” take? It’s not Muncy’s throwing arm, and considering he hasn’t had surgery yet, logically it doesn’t seem likely he will this offseason. Corey Seager had Tommy John surgery in May 2018 and missed the final five months of the regular season, but that was on his throwing (right) arm.

Muncy finished 10th in National League MVP voting after a season that saw him hit .249/.368/.527 with a 140 wRC+ and a career-high 36 home runs.He finished in the top three among NL first baseman in Gold Glove Award voting, and made his second All-Star appearance, starting for the NL at designated hitter in July.

Muncy has one more season left on his contract, which will pay him $11.5 million in 2022. The Dodgers hold a club option for 2023 worth $13.5 million, with a $1.5 million buyout.