As the Los Angeles Dodgers navigate a busy stretch, the team welcomed back Mookie Betts from the injured list after a five-week absence, while sending prospect Alex Freeland down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. However, the offense continued to struggle in a tough loss to the San Francisco Giants. As fans await Shohei Ohtani's potential day off from hitting this week, here are some other notable stories from around the diamond.

Max Muncy is having a season full of coincidences. As MLB.com's David Adler pointed out, Muncy shares a birthday with Oakland Athletics' infielder Max Muncy, both were drafted by the A's, and both now play third base. What's more, both are among MLB leaders in hard-hit rate this year. On Monday, the Dodgers' Muncy added to that stat with a 104.1 mph home run and a 102.2 mph single, showing off the power that makes him a key part of the lineup.

Speaking of Muncy's hard hits, Atlanta Braves right fielder Eli White made a spectacular catch at the right field wall on Sunday, robbing the Dodgers' third baseman of what looked like a three-run double. The effort came at a cost, though—White crashed head-first into the wall and was placed on the concussion injured list on Monday. The folks at Battery Power have more on that play.

In pitching news, Eno Sarris and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic explored the rarity of left-handed pitchers throwing split-fingered fastballs, a fascinating trend that could impact how teams approach their bullpens. For Dodgers fans, this kind of analysis is a reminder of how the game continues to evolve.

Finally, we remember a legend of Dodgers broadcasting. René Cárdenas, the longtime Spanish-language voice of the team, passed away on Sunday at age 96. As Ed Guzman of the Los Angeles Times reported, fellow broadcaster Jaime Jarrín paid tribute: "He was indisputably one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball radio broadcasting... He was a total professional, truly." Cárdenas's legacy opened doors for countless broadcasters and brought the game to millions of fans.