Freddie Freeman sustained a significant right ankle sprain on Sept. 26 and wound up missing the final three games on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular-season schedule.
Freeman received treatment throughout the bye week and felt healthy enough to play in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
However, the eight-time All-Star admitted that his availability will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
“I was one of the first ones here to start my treatment, and I don’t think I stopped until the game started to get myself ready,” Freeman said after collecting two hits and a stolen base in the Dodgers’ comeback win.
“I can’t thank (physical therapist) Bernard Li, (head athletic trainer) Thomas Albert and everyone with the training staff helping me be able to play. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get out there. Unfortunately, that just might be how it is every day but I think we have a good plan and approach.
“I’ll be here at 10:45 (Sunday morning) to start it all over again. I think the stolen base was just pure luck. I leaned into Clayton (McCullough) and said, ‘What is he?’ Because he was just so slow. They know I had a sprained ankle and I figured they didn’t think I was going to steal. He said, ‘six-five.’ I said, ‘Can I go?’ He said, ‘Can you run?’ and I just took off.
“Guys that follow me know I think 90 feet means a lot in this game, especially in the postseason. I know I took a big risk with how I’m feeling, but I just had to. An opportunity presented itself and I had to go for it. If I can’t play the game the right way, I shouldn’t be out there.
“I was feeling good enough and adrenaline took over. Adrenaline is wearing off now. I’m tired. It’s been a grind this week just trying to get myself to be able to play.”
Freeman’s sprained right ankle also includes a bone bruise will require a lengthy recovery. He aggravated it during Game 1 of the NLDS but played through the pain.
“The only time I ever really felt the outside was that 1-1 slider I missed from Tanner Scott. But the bone bruise on the inside, I wasn’t really expecting that to hurt. That started around the fourth inning,” Freeman explained.
“I just tried to mentally put it off and get off my feet as much as I could in between innings. I’m just going to have to battle with it. It is what it is. It’s what I was dealt with.
“We’ve got a good process and plan before games, although I don’t know how I’m going to feel [Sunday] after a full game. I’ve only been hitting in cages and doing sim games, so I really cannot answer. But I’ll probably be the first one here to start [treatment] and do everything I can to be out there.”
Freeman went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in the Dodgers’ 7-5 win over the Padres. His first hit had an exit velocity of 108.8 mph.
“It’s not about the results, it’s about how I feel. It’s about how I was feeling and knowing I was confident in my ankle. Obviously, getting a hit in your first at-bat is really helpful to that feeling a little bit. But out or hit, I felt good after that first at-bat, so I knew I could make it,” Freeman said.
Freddie Freeman leaves Game 2
Despite initial optimism over the past week, Freeman admitted that he wasn’t sure if being in the Dodgers lineup for the NLDS opener would be feasible.
“I told Charlie, ‘I don’t know if daddy is going to be able to play today.’ That was when I left the house,” he said. “Then I got here and started doing treatment, doing a lot of different things, slowly moving some swelling out of there and feeling a little bit better.
“As it went on, it got to the point where I could attempt to go out there and go through my pregame process. When you guys saw me go out on the field, I was feeling pretty confident that I was going to be able to get through, because I had already hit prior to that.
“But that was why I told you guys I needed to see something harder. Because I can swing soft in the cage, on flips and tee, and coaches’ BP, but in that sim game, the first swing I took, I was like, ‘Oh, this is way different from coaches’ BP.’ That’s why I needed to check that last box. I went from very, very, very slim to around 1:30 feeling pretty good.”
There was much more clarity for the 35-year-old heading into Game 2, but Freeman was removed early because of right ankle discomfort.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the loss Freeman’s status and availability moving forward was of “great concern.” He otherwise did not yet have any clarity on Freeman’s outlook for Game 3 on Tuesday.
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