Athletics' Max Muncy: Handling starting duties at third
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Muncy is starting at third base and batting seventh in Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.
Muncy started at the hot corner for Opening Day on Friday against Toronto, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. It looks like the 23-year-old is the A's preferred option at third base to open the 2026 regular season, though Andy Ibanez and Darell Hernaiz could see some starts of their own if Muncy struggles early on. Muncy made his major-league debut in March of 2025 and finished last season with a .638 OPS with one steal, nine home runs and 23 RBI over 220 plate appearances.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Trio of hits in spring win
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Muncy went 3-for-3 with a solo homer, a double, an additional RBI, three additional runs scored and a walk in Wednesday's Cactus League win over the Diamondbacks.
Muncy reached base in each plate appearance, highlighted by a 429-foot solo blast off Ryne Nelson in the fourth inning. The infielder has mashed in Cactus League play, slashing .393/.514/.750 with two homers, four doubles and seven RBI across 13 appearances. Defense at the hot corner remains a work in progress, as the 23-year-old committed his third error of the spring Wednesday, though a strong showing at the plate bodes well as Muncy vies for regular reps at third base during the regular season.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Solid start to spring
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Muncy is 6-for-21 with four walks, two doubles, a home run and five RBI through 10 Cactus League games.
Muncy has seen regular playing time at the hot corner this spring and has looked solid at the dish, tallying three extra-base hits while also showing improved plate discipline with four walks thus far. He walked only 4.6 percent of the time during a lackluster rookie campaign last season, when the 23-year-old slashed .214/.259/.379 with seven doubles, nine homers and 23 RBI across 63 games. Continuing to produce strong numbers in Cactus League play should aid Muncy's pursuit of the starting third-base job for the 2026 regular season, though Darell Hernaiz -- who's away from the team competing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic -- and Andy Ibanez remain in the mix.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Activated from IL
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Muncy (hand) was activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Saturday's game against the Pirates.
Muncy has been on the shelf since July 21 due to a hairline fracture at the base of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand and did not go on a rehab assignment, instead going through a hitting progression on the side. Zack Gelof (dislocated shoulder) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move. Muncy should get some starts at third base and the keystone over the final eight games of the season, although he is on the bench Saturday.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Begins hitting progression
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The Athletics announced Monday that Muncy (hand) has begun a hitting progression, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
The rookie infielder is finally ready to start hitting again after being sidelined since late July with a hairline fracture at the base of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand. Muncy will need time to ramp back up and will likely require a rehab stint before being activated from the 10-day injured list.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Tending to hairline fracture
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Muncy is dealing with a hairline fracture at the base of the fourth metacarpal on his right hand, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported Friday.
Initial X-rays on Muncy's hand didn't reveal any significant injuries, but further evaluation revealed he's dealing with a hairline fracture. The infielder was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but Friday's update could mean a longer absence is in store.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Moves to injured list
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The Athletics placed Muncy (hand) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
Muncy, who was hit by a pitch on the right hand Monday, appeared to have avoided a serious injury when X-rays came back negative, but he'll still need to spend some time on the shelf. The 22-year-old will be eligible to be rejoin the active roster in early August. Luis Urias and Gio Urshela are the likely candidates to man second base while Muncy is out.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Avoids serious injury
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X-rays on Muncy's right hand returned negative following Monday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He exited the matchup after being struck by a pitch in the fifth inning.
Muncy is likely dealing with a bruised hand considering further scans returned negative. He'll be deemed day-to-day until the club has a chance to re-evaluate the 22-year-old. Gio Urshela entered the game in Muncy's place Monday and could be in line for more playing time if Muncy is forced to sit for a few days, though Luis Urias would also be a candidate for at-bats.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Hitting bench Sunday
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Muncy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.
Muncy will hit the bench after a stretch of 13 consecutive starts during which he slashed .217/.275/.413 with three home runs, one stolen base and nine RBI. Gio Urshela will get the start at third base Sunday, but Muncy should serve as the primary option at the position until one of Zack Gelof (ribs) or Miguel Andujar (oblique) is ready to return from the injured list.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Slugs homer in win
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Muncy went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's win over Kansas City.
The infielder launched a hanging slider from Michael Lorenzen into the left-field bullpen for a two-run homer in the second inning. Muncy has shown a clear uptick in power since being called back up in early June, slashing .270/.289/.595 with four home runs and 11 RBI over 37 at-bats. This may be a lost season for the Athletics in terms of playoff contention, but continued growth from the rookie would be a welcome development.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Back in majors
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The Athletics recalled Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The A's optioned Muncy to Triple-A in late April after he began the season slashing .176/.211/.279 through 71 plate appearances in the majors. Since being sent down, he's turned things around offensively to the tune of a .901 OPS, which is good enough for him to get another shot with the big club. CJ Alexander was optioned to Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Out of Saturday's lineup
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Muncy isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Muncy will take a day to regroup Saturday after going 0-for-10 with four strikeouts since the start of April. Luis Urias will get the nod at second base instead and bat eighth.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: On bench Sunday
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Muncy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.
The 22-year-old has gone 2-for-12 with a solo homer and four strikeouts in his first three MLB games, and he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale in Seattle. Max Schuemann will start at second base and bat ninth in place of Muncy.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Officially added to roster
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The Athletics selected Muncy's contract from Single-A Lansing on Thursday.
In addition to claiming a roster spot, Muncy will open the season as the Athletics' primary second baseman with Zack Gelof set to miss the first several weeks of the season after undergoing wrist surgery. The 22-year-old Muncy ended spring training with a .282 batting average and .768 OPS, which falls in line with what fantasy managers can expect from him at the plate if he can hit the ground running the majors.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Draws Cactus League start
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Muncy will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres.
Muncy didn't make any appearances after Aug. 22 last season due to an unspecified injury, but he looks to be back to full health for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect has gone hitless with one walk over five plate appearances through his first three Cactus League games. Muncy is expected to open the upcoming season at Triple-A Las Vegas.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Good numbers since return from IL
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Muncy owns a .259/.328/.519 slash line with two doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, four walks and 10 runs across 61 plate appearances over his first 15 games with Triple-A Las Vegas since returning from the injured list July 19.
A significant chunk of Muncy's counting stats in that sample came a few days ago when he recorded a double, three home runs, eight RBI and five runs in a career performance against Albuquerque. Muncy's overall numbers during his first foray against Triple-A pitching this season are encouraging, as he's forged a .268 average and .830 OPS across 148 plate appearances with the Aviators. The prospect's 25.0 percent strikeout rate and 8.1 percent walk rate are also both adequate while still having some room for improvement, and despite the fact there are currently several Athletics experiencing offensive surges, it would seem highly likely Muncy gets his first taste of the big leagues before the end of the season.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Returns from Triple-A IL
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Muncy (hand) started at shortstop and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Friday in Triple-A Las Vegas' 4-2 loss to Salt Lake in his return from the 7-day injured list.
Muncy made his first appearance for Las Vegas since May 14 after missing just over two months with a hand injury. Prior to being activated, Muncy had an eight-game rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, during which he slashed .379/.400/.724 with six extra-base hits and a stolen base.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Starts rehab assignment
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Muncy (hand) played DH and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during a rehab game with the Athletics' Arizona Complex League affiliate on Saturday.
Saturday's contest marked Muncy's first game action since May 14, when he was placed on the IL with a hand injury. The 21-year-old has battled injuries for most of 2024 but has shined when healthy, posting an .817 OPS in 87 plate appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: On IL with hand injury
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Triple-A Las Vegas placed Muncy (hand) on the 7-day injured list May 17, Athletics Farm reports.
This is Muncy's second IL stint of the season, as he was also shelved with an injury from April 24 through May 10. Per the report, Muncy isn't doing much baseball-related activity, so he might not be ready to return when eligible this weekend. The middle infielder is slashing .274/.379/.438 with two home runs, three steals and a 23 percent strikeout rate in 22 games. Muncy, 21, is the fifth-youngest hitter with at least 80 plate appearances at Triple-A.
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Athletics' Max Muncy: Raking early at Las Vegas
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Muncy is slashing .360/.429/.600 across 28 plate appearances over his first seven games with Triple-A Las Vegas.
The 21-year-old just slugged his first home run of the season Sunday against Sugar Land, and he's hit safely in four of the last five games overall. This marks Muncy's first foray at the Triple-A level after playing at both High-A and Double-A in 2023, so his early success is encouraging even when factoring in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. Nick Allen is currently holding down the shortstop role with the big-league club, but given the Athletics' lack of postseason aspirations, it wouldn't surprise to see Muncy be given his first promotion to the majors at some point this season, especially if Allen's offensive struggles persist.
