The Dodgers tend to treat things in their universe as state secrets. In today's Major League Baseball, information is king. The Dodgers are outstanding data connoisseurs and do not want to share any information. This year, this includes Max Muncy's terrible left elbow injury.

Muncy was injured on the last day of the regular season when a runner sprinted through his outstretched arm at first base, bending his elbow in a way that shouldn't be. The Dodgers remained silent on the diagnosis.

A few days later, Muncy said that his elbow was dislocated and his ligaments suffered some damage. But neither he nor the Dodgers provided more details. On the contrary, Muncy and the club have always insisted that if the Dodgers advance to the World Series, he can return to the playoffs, even if he wears black braces every day. It turned out that this was a bluff.

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On Monday, when Muncy revealed his torn ulnar collateral ligament on MLB Network, the truth emerged. Participating in the playoffs has never been a realistic possibility, but the Dodgers believe he will be ready for the start of the 2022 season.

"I didn't recover as quickly as I hoped, but this happens when you cause serious damage to your body," Muncy said. "The tearing of UCL is a slow process."

The 31-year-old Muncy signed a 2023 team option with another season's contract. When he is healthy, he is one of the top players in the majors. He just finished a season, he hit 36 ​​homers in 144 games, shooting 0.895. Because the Dodgers failed to score consistently before rebounding in the National League Championship Series, he missed the game in October.

Frustration is another factor in the organization's complex and critical offseason. After the season, 12 players from the club became free agents. The list includes Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor and Kenley Jansen. On Monday, the team lost to the New York Mets, who agreed to sign a three-year, $130 million contract with future Hall of Fame players.

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Wandering in the background—perhaps limiting the front office’s ability to spend money—is that Trevor Ball is about to be suspended. After Ball was accused of sexual assault in Pasadena in June, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether to charge him.

The Major League Baseball investigation is still ongoing. Once the investigation is over, the league is expected to impose an unpaid suspension, which will affect the Dodgers' books. When and for how long he will be suspended is still unknown, which puts the Dodgers in a somewhat stagnant state as the team rushed to sign a free agent before the lockout on Wednesday night.

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Jorge Castillo reports on the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times.

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