Sports
How a 'chiropractic adjustment' finally helped Max Muncy return to the Dodgers
A few days before Max Muncy strained his oblique in May, the Dodgers infielder noticed a bruise on his chest.
At first, he didn’t pay it much mind.
“You look in the mirror and you’re like, ‘Oh I’ve got some weird bruises there. Maybe I took a weird hop on a ground ball in practice or something,’” Muncy recalled recently. “You really don’t even think about it.”
As it turned out, the contusion actually was an early clue in what became a three-month odyssey for Muncy, who languished on the injured list for most of the summer with perhaps the most confounding ailment of any Dodger this season.
When Muncy went on the IL on May 17, the Dodgers expected him to return in a matter of days.
“I remember when it first happened,” manager Dave Roberts said, “we were even contemplating not even making it an IL.”
But as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Muncy’s discomfort never improved. His swing never felt right. And as his absence dragged on, he and the Dodgers medical staff started looking for other reasons the 33-year-old’s recovery was taking so long.
“I’d have a good day, and then I’d wake up and it’d feel like Day 1 of the injury,” Muncy said. “It was a whole process to get back to where I felt [OK] to even start to swing.”
Eventually, doctors discovered the root of Muncy’s issue: One of his bottom ribs was “out of place,” he said. And up until last month, it was starting to seem like it might cost the slugger the rest of his season.
“It was pretty severe,” Muncy said. “It didn’t feel like we were ever going to clear that hurdle.”
Now, however, all that is in the past. After a “chiropractic adjustment,” as Roberts termed it, late last month, Muncy’s rib finally was back into the correct spot. His lingering pain rapidly began to dissipate.
It culminated with his long-awaited activation this week, when he gave the Dodgers the kind of jolt they feared they’d be without for the stretch run: two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs in a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy celebrates after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Three months of uncertainty and despair, suddenly replaced by three electric days at the plate.
“I’d definitely say it’s unexpected,” Muncy said with a chuckle. “But it felt good. Just trying to keep things simple, and got some good results out there.”
The Dodgers’ new hope: that the saga proves to be a serendipitous turning point in their season, one of the rare injury subplots that might lead to a happy ending for both him and the team.
“To get back, hit the ground running, understand every play, every at-bat is important, and for him to pick us up … we’ve needed every bit of it,” Roberts said. “It’s just really good to have him.”
It didn’t take long for Muncy and the team to realize something was amiss when he was on the IL.
While scans showed he had an unusually bothersome oblique injury — he said in June it was affecting his entire core, rather one specific area — the stop-and-start nature of his recovery raised suspicions that something else was afflicting him.
While Muncy could take ground balls and complete other basic infield drills, any attempt to resume swinging resulted in one setback after another.
“I’d have two, three really good days of swinging, ball would be coming off hot, no pain in the swing at all, bat speed would be great, and then I’d wake up on the third or fourth day and it’d feel like Day 1 of the injury,” Muncy said. “We’d start back over and go back to the drawing board, see what was going on, go get more scans. That process obviously happened three or four times.”
Early in that process, Muncy thought back to that bruise he had before he got hurt. And as his absence dragged on, the medical staff turned its attention to his rib cage, realizing that might be causing the delays in his recovery.
“My best guess is maybe the week leading up to when I got hurt, I dove for a ball or something and landed on it wrong, and we just didn’t know it at the time,” Muncy said. “We thought that maybe it was hurt before that day even happened.”
That led Muncy to begin making routine trips to a chiropractor, who made several attempts to get Muncy’s displaced rib back in the right position.
“It just wasn’t ever getting set properly,” Muncy said. “Each time I tried to come back, I felt like I was locked and couldn’t move properly.”
But then another trip to the chiropractor in late July resulted in a long-awaited breakthrough, with Muncy immediately feeling relief in the area that had bothered him for so long. When asked how his chiropractor did it, Muncy laughed.
“I’d re-show you, but I can’t actually physically get my body in that position,” he said. “It kind of felt like they almost broke my rib, but they didn’t. But it almost felt like that’s what happened.”
Max Muncy celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Mariners on Tuesday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The adjustment, coupled with a pain-relieving injection the following day, allowed Muncy to finally turn a corner. This time there were no setbacks or aggravations. He quickly progressed from swings in the cage, to live at-bats, to a weeklong rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City. Then his monster week against a talented Mariners pitching staff.
“It felt like I was never even hurt,” Muncy said. “That’s why this whole process has been pretty fast once we got that going.”
The challenge will be carrying it on over the final five weeks of the season, with Muncy resuming his role as the Dodgers’ everyday third baseman while batting seventh in a suddenly deep batting order.
During his time on the IL, Muncy said he tried to maintain certain “cues” in his swing mechanics, mimicking his hand placement and foot position while at home watching the Dodgers. But his swing isn’t exactly the same as it was early in the season, when the ninth-year veteran flashed early improvements following disappointing 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“When I come back, it’s just second-nature to be thinking about that stuff,” Muncy said. “But at the same time you have to get your swing back. So it’s a little bit of both.”
If this week was any indication, he’s close to finding that balance. He homered Monday night on a hanging changeup over the plate, then went deep again Tuesday on a 95-mph fastball well above the strike zone.
In Roberts’ eyes, however, Muncy’s biggest contribution might have been a bases-loaded, three-run double Wednesday — on a first-pitch slider up in the zone — that put the Dodgers’ 8-4 win out of reach.
As the manager noted, the knock allowed the team to stay away from key relievers like Michael Kopech in the later innings.
“That,” Roberts said, “has an exponential effect on our ballclub.”
Of course, the Dodgers would have preferred to get such contributions from Muncy all season. His extended absence contributed to a revolving door of replacements at third base, and the team’s seasonlong struggles to balance the lineup.
Getting him back, however, already is serving as a nice consolation.
“It was always in the back of my head … that, ‘Oh, what if this happens again?’” Muncy said. “But we’re definitely in the clear on that now. It’s a blessing to be back out here.”
Sports
Amanda Anisimova defends right to avoid ‘clickbait’ questions about US politics at Australian Open
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
American tennis star Amanda Anisimova called out a reporter at the Australian Open for asking “clickbait” questions about representing the United States under the Trump administration, saying it was her “right” not to speak on political matters.
Speaking to reporters after her fourth-round victory over Wang Xinyu, Anisimova was asked about how she is handling the “discourse” that has surrounded her after a reporter asked her and several American tennis players about their thoughts on representing the Stars and Stripes.
Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. is congratulated by Katerina Siniakova, right, of the Czech Republic following their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)
“I feel like the internet is – it’s tough. It comes with the job, which is something I’ve learned to get used to,” she said, adding that there are days “where it bothers me a little bit.”
Anisimova, a finalist at the 2025 U.S. Open and Wimbledon, later addressed the incident involving the reporter, who OutKick reported was freelance journalist Owen Lewis.
“In my other press conference, the fact that I didn’t want to answer a question that was obviously intended for just like a headline and clickbait, that was my right. It had nothing to do with my political views or anything like that.”
Anisimova was initially asked at an earlier press conference how it felt to “play under the American flag right now.”
“I was born in America. So, I’m always proud to represent my country,” the New Jersey native said. “A lot of us are doing really well, and it’s great to see a lot of great athletes on the women’s side and men’s side. I feel like we’re all doing a great job representing ourselves.”
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the first round on Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
TENNIS STAR AMANDA ANISIMOVA DISMISSES REPORTER’S CYNICAL QUESTION ABOUT US: ‘I DON’T THINK THAT’S RELEVANT’
But the reporter later clarified his question, asking “in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the U.S., does that complicate that feeling at all?”
Anisimova fired back, “I don’t think that’s relevant.”
Speaking to reporters Monday, she said it was wrong for fans to assume her politics based on that response, saying, “The fact that people assume that they know my stance on certain important topics is just wrong. It’s not factual. It’s tough, but I’ve learned to get used to it.”
Amanda Anisimova reacts after defeating Naomi Osaka during the women’s singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Sept. 5, 2025. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Many social media users, including former American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren, came to her defense and criticized the reporter’s line of questioning, which other American tennis players, including Taylor Fritz, were asked.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Shedeur Sanders made the Pro Bowl.
Let that sink in for a minute.
His father, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, made eight Pro Bowls during his 14-year NFL career. But he wasn’t selected until his third season.
The younger Sanders just finished his rookie season … for the 5-12 Cleveland Browns.
The former Colorado quarterback was considered a potential high first-round pick going into the 2025 draft, but he slipped down to the fifth round, where he was selected by Cleveland at No. 144 overall.
Sanders began the season as a third-stringer but eventually became the Browns’ QB1. In eight games played, including seven as a starter, Sanders completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a passer rating of 68.1. He also rushed for one touchdown.
In other words, he wasn’t exactly an elite NFL quarterback.
Yet, Sanders is headed to the Bay Area to take part in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 3. He was named as the replacement for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who is unable to participate because his team is playing the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
Sanders is the first Browns quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Derek Anderson in 2008 and the first rookie quarterback to make it since Maye last year.
Sanders may be the most unexpected selection since then-Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley. Huntley made the cut after the 2022 season despite playing in only six games, starting in four, and throwing for 658 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
How did this happen? Here’s what we know.
Pro Bowl selections are determined in equal parts by fan, player and coach voting. When the results were announced in late December, the three quarterbacks selected to represent the AFC were Maye, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert.
Sanders was not among the first four alternates at quarterback in the AFC.
Some of the AFC’s top quarterbacks — including Denver’s Bo Nix, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones — suffered season-ending injuries.
Players are not required to take part in the Pro Bowl festivities. Several other AFC quarterbacks — possibly including Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Houston’s C.J. Stroud, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Tennessee rookie Cam Ward — may have turned down Pro Bowl invites for Sanders to have gotten the nod.
All that aside, not many people ever get to play quarterback in the NFL and even fewer can say they made the Pro Bowl. Sanders seems most appreciative of the honor.
“Thank you God. I’m beyond excited and extremely grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players, and fans,” Sanders said in a statement released by the Browns. “This wouldn’t be possible without the support behind me. Still plenty of work to do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter warns soccer fans against traveling to US for 2026 World Cup under Trump
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer fans should avoid traveling to the United States for the 2026 World Cup this summer.
Blatter’s reasoning? His belief that President Donald Trump’s international aggression and immigration crackdown across the country makes it dangerous for fans traveling overseas.
Blatter cited Mark Pieth, an anti-corruption expert and law professor who oversaw the Independent Governance Committee during FIFA’s reform from 2013-16. Pieth spoke with Swiss outlet Der Bund, where he told soccer fans to, “Stay away from the USA!”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on March 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
“For the fans, there’s only one piece of advice: stay away from the USA!” I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup,” Blatter, 89, tweeted on Monday.
Pieth added in his interview: “You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please the officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”
The United States is set to co-host this year’s World Cup, as Mexico and Canada will be the site for games in the tournament that spans from June 11-July 19. However, after the Round of 16, all remaining matches will be held in the U.S.
Trump’s stance toward Greenland has led to a call to boycott the World Cup this summer by German soccer federation executive Oke Göttlich.
“I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this concretely,” Göttlich told Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper about a potential boycott. “For me, that time has definitely come.”
Trump said recently that a “framework of a future deal” with NATO involving Greenland and the Arctic region has been discussed, which could ease tension in that regard.
From left; FIFA President Gianni Infantino takes a selfie with President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Chris Carlson/AP Photo)
“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
There is also the criticism of ICE agents in U.S. cities, specifically Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the deaths of two U.S. citizens as immigration crackdowns continue.
Pieth discussed that factor as well in his interview.
“The country itself is in a state of tremendous turmoil,” he said. “What we’re witnessing domestically — the marginalization of political opponents, the abuses by immigration authorities, and so on — doesn’t exactly entice a fan to travel there.
Pieth likened the States’ “security situation” to Mexico, where drug cartels threaten violence ahead of matches in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. Pieth believes the U.S. has become “increasingly authoritarian.”
U.S. President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA via Getty Images)
It’s worth noting Blatter was forced out of his post as FIFA president in 2015 following one of the biggest corruption scandals in the sport involving wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
Gianni Infantino took over Blatter’s role, and he has had a strong friendship with Trump.
The State Department also told Fox News Digital exclusively that it will launch the FIFA Priority Appointment Schedule System, or FIFA PASS, which will give World Cupp ticket holders the opportunity to access prioritized visa appointments before the tournament begins on June 11.
Prospective visa holders must be able to show that they qualify to obtain a visa and plan to follow the laws in the United States as well as leave the country once the tournament is over on July 19.
Trump spoke about the FIFA Pass in November, saying the Departments of State and Homeland Security had been working “tirelessly” to “ensure that soccer fans from all around the world are properly vetted and able to come to the United States next summer easily.”
In this Sept. 1, 2020 file photo, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, center, appears in front of the building of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, in Bern, Switzerland. Former FIFA president Blatter spent a week in an induced coma after having heart surgery in December, his family said on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. (Peter Schneider/Keystone)
“I’ve directed my administration to do everything within the power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success. I think it’s going to be the greatest, and we are setting records on ticket sales,” Trump said at the time.
Infantino said the organization expected “between 5 and 10 million people coming to America from… all over the world to enjoy the World Cup.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fitness expert shares low-effort movement routines for days you’re too tired to exercise: ‘Even a few minutes of…’
‘See You When I See You’ Review: Cooper Raiff Gives a Deeply Felt Lead Turn in a Tragicomedy That’s Sad for the Wrong Reasons
Shooting involving Border Patrol leaves 1 in critical condition near US-Mexico border
Video: F.A.A. Ignored Safety Concerns Prior to Collision Over Potomac, N.T.S.B. Says
‘Fireworks’ wins Caldecott, Newbery is awarded to ‘All the Blues in the Sky’
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: F.A.A. Ignored Safety Concerns Prior to Collision Over Potomac, N.T.S.B. Says
Democrats demand Kristi Noem be fired or warn impeachment will follow
EU Commissioner Virkkunen urges US to respect EU digital rules
Families of killed men file first U.S. federal lawsuit over drug boat strikes
Video: New Video Analysis Reveals Flawed and Fatal Decisions in Shooting of Pretti
-
Sports1 week agoMiami’s Carson Beck turns heads with stunning admission about attending classes as college athlete
-
Illinois5 days agoIllinois school closings tomorrow: How to check if your school is closed due to extreme cold
-
Pittsburg, PA1 week agoSean McDermott Should Be Steelers Next Head Coach
-
Lifestyle1 week agoNick Fuentes & Andrew Tate Party to Kanye’s Banned ‘Heil Hitler’
-
Pennsylvania1 day agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Sports1 week agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoNortheast Ohio cities dealing with rock salt shortage during peak of winter season
-
Science1 week ago‘It is scary’: Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range