Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Max Muncy recorded a hit as he made his spring training debut on Thursday.

The third baseman went 1-for-3 with a single to right field in the third inning.

He also grounded out in the first inning and struck out looking in the fifth.

What Are the Expectations for Max Muncy Entering 2026?

Muncy is coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons, playing just 173 of the possible 324 regular season games.

He was put in the injured list twice in 2025, though he managed to play in 100 regular season games.

Muncy slashed .243/.376/.470, though manager Dave Roberts has made clear that the third-baseman brings both tangible and intangible benefits to the team.

“I just love the way Max plays, and he gets lost a lot because we have so many superstars, but he’s gotten big hits for us, made big plays for us, and it’s very obvious when he’s not in the lineup for whatever reason, how we perform offensively,” Roberts said. “So he’s very valuable to our ball club.”

To maximize that value, the Dodgers have been giving key players their rest this offseason.

“For a lot of us coming off back-to-back World Series, just trying to prioritize rest over the offseason. That was a conversation that was had with several people,” Muncy told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “It was kind of ‘Give your body as much rest as possible. We’ll start ramping up a little later than normal.’ As a result, we’re just not ready for the first week of games. But we’re still scheduled to get more than 50 at-bats which is definitely plenty to get ready.”

Muncy Is More Than Just On-Field Production

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More than anything, though, Muncy has become known for his loyalty. He’s the longest-tenured Dodger on the team, and he’s remained with the squad by taking team-friendly deals.

”I think for me what epitomized, what captures Max is he loves being a Dodger and he’s taken less money to not challenge the free agent market because he wanted to be here,” Roberts said. “And so that’s something for me is, you want as many players to be a part of this organization that just want to be here. And so that’s something that has huge value.”