GOODYEAR, Ariz.. -- The Dodgers got good injury news on Thursday, as third baseman Max Muncy said X-rays on his left hand were negative after getting hit by a Cody Bradford curveball in the first inning of Wednesday’s Cactus League game.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” Muncy said. “I felt pretty good about it yesterday that it would be fine. It’s one of those things where we’re taking it as precaution. You just never know.”

After getting hit, Muncy was checked out by the training staff and manager Dave Roberts. After a discussion, Muncy said he wanted to stay in the game. On Thursday, the swelling on the hand had gone down, and Muncy doesn’t expect to miss much time.

“As soon as it hit me, honestly, it felt fine,” Muncy said. “It was my decision to stay in there because I wanted to get some more reps on defense, trying to get as many ground balls as I can. … It’s one of those things, it’s spring and we don’t need to push it, but it feels fine now. X-rays were negative, so that’s good.”

Outside of the HBP, Muncy has been one of the Dodgers' most impressive hitters this spring. He came into camp 15 pounds lighter than he was last season. The reasoning behind that was to improve his defense, which was inconsistent in 2023.

Muncy struggled defensively to start last season and also wasn’t consistent enough to close out the campaign. However, he was a solid third baseman for the Dodgers in ‘22. Keeping Muncy healthy and hitting in the middle of the order will be a priority for the Dodgers all season long.

“Everything is moving the way I want it to,” Muncy said. “Just a lot of confidence coming in and knowing that everything is moving how I want it to be. I’m not fighting anything, I’m not trying to fight against anything. It’s definitely been several years since I’ve had that.”

Hernández explains his decision to return to LA
When the offseason began, Kiké Hernández made it clear he would love to come back to the Dodgers. After spending a season and a half with the Red Sox, Hernández made his return after the Dodgers swung a Trade Deadline deal with Boston.

As Hernández’s free-agent market played out, however, the likelihood of a reunion was uncertain. The Dodgers didn’t have any openings on the projected 26-man roster and the offers weren’t coming in as he had hoped.

But earlier this week, the Dodgers finally began to make moves to clear space with a trade to send veteran outfielder Manuel Margot to the Twins. Minutes after that was announced, the Dodgers made the Hernández deal official, a one-year, $4 million pact.

“I talked to [president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman] and I was like, ‘Hey, if we can’t make something happen in the next couple of days, I’m gonna have to turn the page and go somewhere else because I need to do what’s best for me and my family,’ and I felt like opportunities were starting to go away by waiting too long. I guess the timing worked out and he cleared a spot and I’m here now.”

Hernández said he grew upset by reports that he had narrowed his free-agent decision to four teams. None of those reported teams included the Dodgers. The veteran utilityman, however, did say that his decision came down to the Dodgers and the Yankees.

“I felt like here, with the familiarity of the coaches and the way that they use position players here, I thought that there was more opportunity with playing time here than the other places,” Hernández said. “I like winning, and this is a team that’s set up to make a deep run.”

Inside Dodgers camp

• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said right-hander Emmet Sheehan’s availability for the two-game series against the Padres in Seoul, South Korea will probably be affected by the fact that he hasn’t faced live hitters this spring due to lingering general body soreness. His status for the domestic Opening Day is also in question.

• Left-hander James Paxton made his first Cactus League start as a member of the Dodgers, allowing one run and striking out four over two innings in L.A.'s eventual 5-4 loss to the Reds. After a couple injury-riddled seasons, Paxton is poised to be the Dodgers’ fourth starter this year.