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.”
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Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.
Shortly after the Wolverines captured the program’s first title since 1989, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the NBA Draft.
Despite declaring for the NBA Draft, Johnson has maintained his NCAA eligibility throughout the process. However, he has until May 27 to withdraw if he plans to return for his junior season.
Johnson played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. walks on the court against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
After joining Michigan, Johnson quickly emerged as a key contributor, averaging the second-most points on the team. He also led the Wolverines in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May eventually dubbed Johnson “The Enforcer” and “Junkyard Dog,” a nod to his tenacity on the defensive end. Johnson was named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team.
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But Johnson’s offensive prowess didn’t take a back seat to his defensive strengths. His shooting from beyond the 3-point line showed improvement as the season progressed.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Many early NBA projections gave Johnson a first-round grade. It’s unclear how much name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation he would command if he returns to Michigan or transfers elsewhere.
Johnson has been active on social media, interacting with teammates as they consider returning to Michigan for another championship push.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after scoring in the second half against the UConn Huskies during the 2026 NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Michigan added a key piece this week, with Jalen Reed transferring from LSU, On3 reported. Reed was limited during the 2025-26 season by an Achilles injury.
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Quarterback Ty Simpson arrived in Los Angeles on Friday — and the Rams’ first-round draft pick sounded as if he couldn’t wait to start learning from coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.
“The best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league, the best … franchise in the league — it’s a perfect situation,” Simpson said during a news conference at the Rams’ draft headquarters in Inglewood.
How the situation plays out — short and long term — remains to be seen.
Stafford, 38, will enter his 18th NFL season as the reigning NFL most valuable player.
With free agent Jimmy Garoppolo mulling retirement, McVay said Thursday night that Simpson would compete with Stetson Bennett to be Stafford’s backup.
The Rams used the 13th pick to select Simpson, 23, who started 15 games for Alabama.
McVay said that he had informed Stafford that the Rams would select Simpson.
“He was great,” McVay said of Stafford’s reaction. “He’s a stud. He’s always first class in every sense of the word.”
But McVay and general manager Les Snead were not their typically ebullient selves when discussing Simpson during their Thursday night news conference. Some observers perceived that as a break in what is regarded as one of the NFL’s best coach-general manager partnerships.
On Friday, Snead said in an interview with ESPN radio that he and McVay work “in lockstep.”
So their muted reactions Thursday might have been out of sensitivity, warranted or not, to not upset Stafford after drafting his heir apparent in the first round. McVay took pains to remind that the Rams are Stafford’s team, seemingly to not offend the Rams’ most important player.
After last year’s draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams went into the offseason with two first-round picks — their own at No. 29 and the one acquired from the Falcons at 13.
Ty Simpson poses for a photo with his family during a news conference in Inglewood on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams used the 29th pick in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, so perhaps the 13th pick was regarded as a luxury.
They spent it on a player who was at Alabama for four seasons, but started only one.
Snead acknowledged that as Simpson pondered whether to remain at Alabama or make himself available for the draft, Snead spoke with Simpson’s father, Jason, who like Snead played college football in the Southeastern Conference and is now the coach at Tennessee Martin. Snead said it was in the role similar to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, which evaluates prospects and lets them know in what round, if any, that they might be selected. Snead reportedly told Jason Simpson his son was first-round caliber.
“You try to get across it’s not about where you get drafted,” Snead said Thursday night. “It’s more about where you go and what situation you go and what you do with that opportunity after.”
A few months later, the Rams drafted Simpson, who was upbeat as he met with reporters, while his parents and his brother and sister sat nearby.
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The Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Simpson, who passed for 28 touchdowns, with five interceptions last season, was in Southern California last January when Alabama lost to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide did a walkthrough at SoFi Stadium.
Now he will begin his NFL career there.
“I’m, I guess, like a redneck in Southern California,” he joked. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m super excited to be here. This is a great place, with great people and I can’t wait to get started.”
Simpson said that Rams safety Quentin Lake had texted him. He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.
“Can’t wait to talk to Matthew,” said Simpson, who characterized the veteran as “an assassin” on the field. “I’m super excited because I just want to pick his brain about everything.”
Simpson met with McVay on Friday.
“He’s got the juice, man,” Simpson said, “like that dude … he’s a fireball.”
Simpson said he benefited from the years he spent at Alabama before he got his opportunity to play last season.
“The years that I sat were … probably more important,” he said, “because I had to learn how to practice. I had to learn how to study when I wasn’t playing because I didn’t know when that time was going to come.
“And so whenever that time did come — it was this year — I made the most of it.”
Now he is ready for the next phase of his career.
He said his faith was his foundation, and that he aspires to be “not only be the best football player I can be,” but also a better teammate and person.
“I want people to come into the locker room and smile, knowing that ‘Hey, Ty’s here,’” he said. “I want to lead, influence people and I think at the quarterback position that’s what you need to do.”
His immediate goal is modest.
“My plan is just to get better each and every day,” he said, “so, eventually, I have a long career like Matthew.”
Sports
Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries signs with activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics amid political rise
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The most accomplished Olympic women’s bobsledder in history is now an official brand ambassador in the movement to “save women’s sports”.
Olympic bobsled legend Kaillie Humphries has signed with the activist sportswear company XX-XY Athletics, becoming the latest medal-winning Olympian to represent the brand.
“Being able to partner with a brand that believes in the same things I do, that’s willing to stand up and actively work on protecting the women’s space and women’s sports is huge,” Humphries told Fox News Digital.
Humphries first spoke out about her support for protecting women’s sports from biological male trans athletes in a Fox News Interview that went viral after the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Humphries had just returned after winning bronze in women’s bobsled, marking her sixth career Olympic medal. She later revealed that she received backlash for coming out as a Republican with other conservative stances in that interview, but didn’t back down.
Humphries went on to be honored at a White House Women’s History Month event by President Donald Trump in March, and gave her Order of Ikkos medal to Trump, citing his actions to protect women’s sports.
“Being able to come back to the USA after the Olympics and then be able to make connections and meet some people, I was able to, when I went to the White House, I was able to meet people that were connected obviously in working with XX-XY and that’s how the conversation started,” Humphries said.
Humphries, who is originally from Canada and competed in her first three Olympics for Canada, moved to the U.S. in 2016 and then competed for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
FEMALE ATHLETES ANXIOUSLY AWAIT SUPREME COURT DECISION TO TAKE UP TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Kaillie Humphries, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist bobsled athlete, presents the Order of Ikkos to President Donald Trump during a Women’s History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)
Just months after that, America was rocked by the news that male transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was winning championships for UPenn’s women’s swim team.
Humphries, who was following the story in the news, found it startling.
Now, as a California resident and the mother of a newborn son, she is energized to help combat the wave of trans athletes in girls’ sports in the state, as California has become the nation’s biggest hotbed for the issue.
XX-XY Athletics co-founder and former U.S. gymnast Jennifer previously told Fox News Digital one of her biggest goals for the brand was to land high-profile superstar women’s athletes as brand ambassadors, especially Olympic medalists.
Now, with Humphries, the brand has a three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time Olympic podium finisher across her stints for Canada and the U.S.
Humphries joins Olympic silver medalist gymnast MyKayla Skinner and gold medal swimmer Nancy Hogshead on XX-XY Athletics’ growing roster of Olympians.
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USA’s Kaillie Humphries holds a USA flag after winning bronze in the bobsleigh women’s monobob heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026. (Marco Bertorello/AFP)
“Kaillie is the GOAT of her sport. She is the only Olympian to win gold for two different countries. She is an elite athlete and a courageous, fierce woman who has fought for female athletes to have equal opportunities in sport.” Sey told Fox News Digital.
“The women’s monobob event exists because of Kaillie’s leadership, and she has gold-medal proof that women have the skill, strength, and speed to compete at the highest level. She has driven meaningful change and expanded opportunities for women at the Olympic level — more female athletes represent Team USA because of Kaillie. And that’s exactly why we’re leading with her as we grow in how we support female athletes.”
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