Freddie Freeman returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Saturday after missing back-to-back games due to a right knee injury.
Freeman went a combined 0-for-8 in the final two matchups against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park and is hitless over his last 16 at-bats dating back to Sept. 6. He has looked uncomfortable at the plate and on the field over the last week, but manager Dave Roberts isn’t concerned that the injury could be getting worse.
“Just talking to him today, he said he felt good,” Roberts said on SportsNet LA. “Obviously, the swings don’t indicate that, don’t validate that. On the defense, I mean, I don’t know, he’s just obviously not moving as well as he’s used to.
“But yeah, I’ll have him down tomorrow. Give him a chance to recover, then have him back in there on Tuesday. I think that he’s doing anything and everything he can to prepare. But I think the last week it’s pretty obvious that he’s not himself in the box.”
Roberts had previously expressed his belief that the injury was affecting Freeman at the plate. The veteran first baseman agreed with that and also said it was also impacting him on defense.
With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, Roberts reiterated that the Dodgers will closely manage Freeman’s workload,
“I think it’s one of those things where we’ve got to manage it, and when I say that, it’s just pick spots to give him an off day here or there,” Roberts said over the weekend. “Again, we’ve just got to make sure he’s at optimal health when we finish the season. So I think that he might not love it, but giving him a day off here or there might be beneficial.”
The Dodgers still need to clinch a postseason berth, the National League West and potentially the No. 2 seed, but it’s clear they are prioritizing the health of their players above everything else.
Freddie Freeman believes two-game break helped knee
After returning to the Dodgers lineup on Saturday, Freeman said the small break provided a much-needed breather and helped his knee.
Despite his recent offensive struggles, Freeman is still in the midst of a solid season. He entered play Monday hitting .293/.371/.447 with 31 doubles, 16 home runs and 66 RBI in 142 games.
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