Freddie Freeman, the first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his way across the field at Dodger Stadium to speak with reporters Thursday night while wearing a walking boot, a National League West championship T-shirt, and a smile reflecting his relief after sustaining an ankle injury during the team’s division-clinching victory.
Describing his condition, Freeman likened the swelling in his sprained right ankle to that of a grapefruit but expressed optimism about his recovery, stating, “They’re pretty optimistic that I should be able to go by Saturday in the playoffs. That’s what I’m banking on.”
The Dodgers shared Freeman’s optimism the following day. As the team departed their clubhouse, celebrating their victory with champagne, they headed to the airport for a late-night flight to Denver. Freeman, however, chose to remain in Southern California for treatment instead of making the trip, as he likely wouldn’t have played anyway.
Freeman’s ankle X-rays came back negative, and he hopes to be ready for the National League Division Series set to begin next Saturday at Dodger Stadium. “Obviously it’s really, really swollen, but they said once they get the fluid out, I should be able to go by Saturday,” he said, noting that he transitioned from using crutches during the clubhouse celebration to walking on his own with the boot later that night.
Manager Dave Roberts echoed Freeman’s optimism, stating he couldn’t “see any world” where Freeman wouldn’t be in the lineup for the postseason. “He’s just such a warrior,” Roberts added. “And he’s gonna do anything he can to post.”
This injury is just one of many challenges Freeman has faced this season. At 35, he has had his least productive year in nearly a decade, with a batting average of .282 and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .854, reflecting his lowest performance since 2015. Recent struggles with a broken finger have further added to his frustration as he hit only .241 with five extra-base hits in his last 15 games.
Off the field, Freeman has confronted significant adversity as well. His 3-year-old son, Max, suffered a serious case of Guillain-Barré syndrome in July that temporarily paralyzed him, which led Freeman to step away from the team for eight games. After two months of physical therapy, Max was able to walk independently again last week, marking a hopeful milestone for the Freeman family.
Freeman commented on this difficult period, saying, “Every day is better and better for Max and that’s all I can really ask for. But yeah, the last couple months have been trying.” Despite missing the final games of the regular season and focusing on rehab, Freeman remained positive, stating, “It’s all put in perspective now. Yeah, tough couple of months. But when you look up and see that [we are] NL West champions and Max is walking now, things are OK.” With his ankle injury also showing signs of improvement, Freeman’s outlook appears to be bright.