LOS ANGELES — All season lengthy, the Dodgers have handled a plethora of accidents.
They hope to keep away from an enormous blow on the subject of celebrity first baseman Freddie Freeman, who exited Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Padres within the seventh inning with an obvious ankle harm. The veteran was in a strolling boot and utilizing crutches within the clubhouse after the Dodgers secured the NL West title with a 7-2 win.
Freeman bought X-rays after the sport, which got here again damaging, giving the Dodgers optimism that their star first baseman can be prepared once they open the Nationwide League Division Collection subsequent Saturday.
“It’s swollen,” Freeman mentioned. “However they’re fairly optimistic that I ought to be capable of go by Saturday within the playoffs. That’s what I’m banking on. I’ve by no means rolled an ankle, so I don’t know. It’s fairly massive proper now.”
Freeman bought injured as he sprinted down the first-base line to beat out a large throw from Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth. After stepping on the bag, Freeman was attempting to cease his momentum ahead and rolled his proper ankle. Instantly after taking place, Mookie Betts, who was standing on second base, was in disbelief.
Because the Dodger Stadium crowd held its collective breath, Freeman walked off the sector with supervisor Dave Roberts and a coach. Kiké Hernández took over at first base within the high of the eighth inning.
“I’m not too nervous about it,” mentioned Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “We now have no purpose to play him this weekend. We may have, probably, if we would have liked it. We don’t want it. So we’ll make it possible for he’s rested up and able to go subsequent Saturday.”
Freeman is not going to journey with the crew to Colorado for the ultimate sequence of the common season. As an alternative, he’ll be staying again residence to get further remedy.
It was a scary sight at Dodger Stadium, nevertheless it seems the Dodgers averted a probably devastating blow.
“Lucky sufficient that we now have a while off now to heal this factor,” Freeman mentioned. “I’m optimistic. I’ve by no means harm an ankle so I can’t actually provide you with guys a solution, however I’ll do every thing I can.”