Freddie Freeman was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Tuesday night for a second consecutive game missed since aggravating his right ankle by slipping in a shower at home.
Freeman underwent an X-ray, which came back negative, and he’s received treatment each day since the incident Sunday morning. That’s an encouraging development considering the significant right ankle sprain Freeman suffered late last year ultimately required offseason surgery.
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Freeman and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts both suggested a return for the series finale against the Atlanta Braves is possible, but it may not be the likely outcome.
“With a day off on Thursday, they’re pushing for me to play Friday. But I’m going to do everything I can to get out there tomorrow,” Freeman said on Tuesday.
“It’s frustrating, because I was actually feeling pretty good. The third game in a row of the Tigers series, it was getting a little stiff at the end. Playing back-to-back-to-back, it was feeling a little stiff, but nothing to be worried about. I was like, ‘Oh, good an off day. I’ll be able to recover.’
“About 10:15, halfway through my morning coffee, I showered to get ready for the day and next thing I know I’m down in the bathtub. It’s a great mental picture if you guys want to think about it. Big guy falling all over the place. You slip in bathtub showers all the time, and when you’re healthy, you catch yourself.
“Mostly, I think it just flared everything back up. I was a little sore, it’s sore on the inside still, but I’m feeling much better. [Monday] was a good day of treatment. From when I got here Sunday around 11:15, because I immediately called Thomas (Albert) and said, ‘All hands on deck. I just fell.’ By the time I left Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon around 2, I could drive home. Chelsea drove me to the field Sunday morning, and then I was able to drive home. That was a big relief.”
Because of the quick progress that’s already been made, Freeman said he does not believe the fall caused any sort of setback with his ankle. It already was an area he continued to receive treatment on throughout the spring and into the season as he tries to get back to 100% recovered from surgery.
“Bernard (Li) has been working really hard again to try to get me back. We were down to like a 50-minute treatment before the games, and we’re back up to three hours again,” Freeman said. “I feel bad for Bernard, but he’s got me into a good spot.”
On top of wanting to play every game in each season, there is some added frustration for Freeman in possibly missing a matchup against his former Braves teammates. But he’s finding solace in the Dodgers having plenty of depth to withstand his absence.
“Thankfully, it kind of works. We’ve got a lot of guys rotating at-bats,” Freeman noted. “Kiké (Hernández) is coming back healthy after his sickness and is getting more at-bats. We’ve got such a deep team that I want to be out there every game, but we’re not losing much.
“The boys are playing really good right now. I think the main thing is getting me healthy so I can make it through the rest of the year.”
How did Freddie Freeman fall in shower?
Freeman explained he could not use the shower in the primary bedroom of his home due to a leaking handle that needed to be repaired. That process had been delayed by a specific part needing to be ordered.
“Good news is, the plumber fixed the shower today,” Freeman said. “Now we’ve got to wait 24 hours for it to dry, so I’ll be showering in a different one. I’m not going to that one again. I’m 0-for-1 on that shower, so I will stick to the shower I used today and the last few days.”
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