LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw’s 3,000th career strikeout was preceded by a scary, dispiriting moment, when Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy injured his left knee and had to be helped off the field Wednesday night.

With one out in the sixth, Muncy leaped to catch a throw from Dodgers catcher Will Smith on an attempted steal of third base by Chicago White Sox center fielder Michael A. Taylor, whose helmet collided directly with the side of Muncy’s left leg on a headfirst slide. Muncy immediately fell to the ground and clutched his left knee, then limped off with the assistance of head athletic trainer Thomas Albert.

Initial tests had the team feeling “optimistic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory, adding that the “hope” is Muncy merely sustained a sprain. But the Dodgers will know more after he undergoes an MRI on Thursday.

Muncy, 34, got off to a slow start but has been red-hot since the beginning of May, slashing .329/.425/.570 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs.

Four years ago, while playing first base, he suffered a similarly freakish injury on a collision with a runner, sustaining a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow while attempting to catch a wide throw from Smith on Oct. 3, 2021. Muncy wound up missing the ensuing playoffs.

The Dodgers hope this injury is not as serious.

“We’re all thinking about Munce right now,” said Kershaw, who recorded his 3,000th strikeout immediately after Muncy’s injury. “He’s a huge part of our team, made a great play there. I don’t really know why [Taylor] stole there; it just seemed unnecessary. I feel bad that it happened. We’re all holding our breath that Munce is going to be OK. He’s obviously a huge part of our team, and especially the last two months he’s been unbelievable.”