The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a significant loss last week with Shohei Ohtani being placed on the 15-day injured list. The situation became potentially more concerning with Freddie Freeman missing multiple games due to a right knee injury.
But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there wasn’t concern of Freeman needing to be put on the IL alongside Ohtani. That was confirmed on Saturday with the 37-year-old returning to the lineup on his birthday.
Freeman said the small break provided a much-needed breather, according to Jack Harris of the California Post.
After missing the Dodgers’ last two games with a right knee injury, Freeman returned to action for the team’s Saturday afternoon game against the Miami Marlins, feeling “night and day” better with what he described as patellar tendonitis.
Roberts had previously expressed his belief 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.
“I was having trouble moving [on defense]. I didn’t have a front side anymore [in my swing],” Freeman said of the way the injury had initially impacted him. “It just got to the point where it wasn’t giving me the best opportunity to play like I want to.”
The injury was the result of cumulative wear and tear rather than a single incident. The right knee discomfort is not thought to be as serious as Ohtani’s, and does not appear to put his long-term availability in jeopardy at this time.
With a postseason spot and the division crown all but secured, the Dodgers have the opportunity to carefully monitor their first baseman’s health and ensure he is ready for October.
Dodgers managing Freddie Freeman
Freeman went 0-for-4 in the Dodgers’ loss to the Miami Marlins that snapped their season-best eight-game winning streak. Although he expressed optimism with the knee issue, Roberts has already suggested the Dodgers will closely manage the workloads of Freeman and other veterans on the roster to finish the regular season.
The Dodgers still need to clinch their postseason berth, the National League West and potentially the No. 2 seed. Finishing with a top two record in the NL has become all the more paramount given the average age of the roster and injuries that have popped up.
Along with missing back-to-back games in a row, Freeman also was out of the lineup on Sept. 4.
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