Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Back in lineup for Game 5
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Freeman (ankle) is expected to start at first base and bat third Friday in Game 5 of the NLDS versus the Padres, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Freeman had to be scratched from the Game 4 lineup due to lingering discomfort in his right ankle. He still needs to go through a pregame workout before the Dodgers lock him into Friday's lineup, but for now it looks like he'll gut it out in the winner-take-all contest. The veteran first baseman is 3-for-11 with three singles so far in the series.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Expected back for Game 5
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Freeman (ankle) is expected to be back in the lineup for Game 5 of the NLDS against the Padres on Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers' Game 4 lineup with a lingering ankle issue, which he aggravated after leaping to make a defensive play in Game 3. He almost certainly won't be playing at full strength but should still provide an upgrade to the Dodgers' lineup.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Scratched from lineup
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Freeman (ankle) was scratched from Wednesday's lineup for Game 4 of the NLDS versus San Diego.
Freeman has been attempting to play through a right ankle sprain all postseason, and he seemed to be visibly bothered by his ankle after jumping and landing awkwardly to finish a double play in the fourth inning of Game 3. He'll get a day to recover Wednesday, which moves Max Muncy to first base while Enrique Hernandez covers the hot corner and Chris Taylor enters to start in center field.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Returns to lineup
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Freeman (ankle) will start at first base and bat third Tuesday in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Freeman missed the final few games of the regular season due to a sprained ankle and had to make an early exit from Sunday's Game 2 because of further discomfort, but he'll attempt to play through the pain Tuesday. Despite his bad ankle, the 35-year-old first baseman has gone 2-for-7 through the Dodgers' first two postseason games.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Status unknown for Game 3
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Freeman (ankle) is receiving treatment Monday, and his availability for Tuesday's Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres is uncertain at this time, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Freeman tried to play through a sprained ankle the first two games of the series, but he had to leave Game 2 early due to the issue. The team is hopeful that he'll be able to take the field for Game 3 after getting treatment, but his status will likely remain unknown until closer to first pitch.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Dealing with ankle soreness
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Freeman (ankle) left Sunday's contest against the Padres early with right ankle discomfort, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Freeman made his return to the lineup in Saturday's victory over San Diego in Game 1 of the NLDS after missing the final three games of the regular season with a right ankle sprain, but it appears to still be bothering the first baseman. Freeman's injury typically takes a month or more to heal completely, so it's not surprising that he's still working through it. The 35-year-old's status for Tuesday's Game 3 in San Diego is something to monitor moving forward.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Exits early Sunday
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Freeman (undisclosed) exited Sunday's game against the Padres in the sixth inning, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Freeman was able to return to the lineup Saturday after missing the final three games of the regular season with a right ankle injury. It's unclear if that is why he left Sunday's matchup early, but his night came to a close after he went 0-for-2 with a strikeout at the plate. Enrique Hernandez entered the lineup at third base, batting fourth, while Max Muncy shifted over to first base.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Status for Game 1 uncertain
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Freeman (ankle) isn't certain to play in Game 1 of the NLDS, and manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he is "not as hopeful" about the first baseman's status as he was Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Freeman told reporters Friday that he intends to play in the first game of the Division Series, but Roberts' comments one day later suggest that such a scenario is far from certain. It's not clear if Freeman has suffered a setback or if he was being overly optimistic when he said he expected to play, and it's worth noting that the severity of his sprain --- which he suffered just over a week ago -- typically has a recovery period of 4-to-6 weeks. Freeman is on the Dodgers' NLDS roster, but if he's unable to play Saturday, Enrique Hernandez could get the start at first base.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Intends to play in Game 1
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Freeman (ankle) told reporters Friday that he will play in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Freeman sprained his ankle against the Padres on Sept. 26, which cost him the last three games of the regular season. While he was told that the severity of the sprain typically takes 4-to-6 weeks of recovery, Freeman relayed that he would "try and do it in a week." The veteran first baseman went through defensive drills and ran the bases Friday, and while he didn't look 100 percent, he appears determined to play at first base in Game 1 of the NLDS. Designated hitter isn't an option with likely NL MVP Shohei Ohtani locked into that spot.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Expected to be in lineup
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Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Freeman (ankle) will undergo a full workout and is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Freeman will run the bases and take part in defensive drills Friday, and while Roberts expects the first baseman to be in the lineup for Game 1, a decision won't be made until Saturday, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. If Freeman is unable to go for Game 1, he should be available to pinch hit off the bench while Max Muncy or Enrique Hernandez start at first base, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Freeman missed the last three games of the regular season after rolling his ankle against the Padres on Sept. 26. The 35-year-old finished the regular season having slashed .282/.378/.476 with 22 home runs and 89 RBI across 638 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Hitting only in scrimmage
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Freeman (ankle) was able to bat during Thursday's intra-squad scrimmage but not play first base, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
It was a positive sign that Freeman took part in baseball activity, though this cast the first doubt about whether he'd be ready for the NLDS. That's particularly true with Shohei Ohtani locked into the DH spot. Max Muncy was playing first base, with Enrique Hernandez at the hot corner in Freeman's absence.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Will face live pitching this week
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Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Wednesday that Freeman (ankle) is expected to face live pitching at some point during the team's workouts this week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Freeman missed the final three games of the regular season with a right ankle injury, but he is fully expected to be ready for Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. The Dodgers have not had Max Muncy work out at first base this week, further suggesting they don't anticipate Freeman's readiness being in question.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: On track for Game 1
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Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that he fully expects Freeman (ankle) to be in the lineup for Game 1 of the NLDS, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
It's not quite a lock that Freeman will be ready, since the skipper is discussing contingency plans that would involve Enrique Hernandez starting at the hot corner and Max Muncy shifting to first base. Freeman exited Thursday's game with an ankle injury and was seen on crutches and in a walking boot as the Dodgers looked to keep the swelling down.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Out for regular season
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Freeman (ankle) was seen on crutches and in a walking boot following Thursday's game against the Padres and will not return during the regular season, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Freeman rolled his ankle attempting to avoid a tag at first base on an off-target throw, but the Dodgers said he avoided structural damage. He is expected to be ready for the postseason.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Exits Thursday's game
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Freeman exited Thursday's game against the Padres with an apparent ankle injury, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Freeman was attempting to avoid a tag at first base and rolled his ankle in the process. He walked off the field under his own power but immediately went to the clubhouse. The severity of the issue is unclear, though it wouldn't be a surprise for the Dodgers to rest him in hopes of a postseason return -- particularly if they can clinch the NL West on Thursday.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Rips three hits Wednesday
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Freeman went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and a stolen base against Miami in Wednesday's 8-4 win.
Freeman extended his modest hitting streak to five games, though this was his first multi-hit performance during that span. While the star first baseman had a three-game streak of notching at least one RBI come to an end, he has now scored at least one run in four consecutive contests. On the season, Freeman is slashing .283/.381/.483 with 22 homers, 88 RBI, 81 runs and eight stolen bases over 609 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Smacks three-run homer in win
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Freeman went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Monday's 9-0 win over Atlanta.
Freeman put an exclamation mark on a six-run seventh inning for the Dodgers with a three-run blast off Aaron Bummer. The first baseman has gone just 6-for-34 with two extra-base hits over his past 10 games but has notched hits in three straight contests. On the season, he is hitting .280 with 22 home runs, 87 RBI, 77 runs scored and seven steals across 599 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Big performance in win
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Freeman went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers opened the game with three straight homers, with Freeman's giving them a 3-0 lead early against Merrill Kelly. Freeman also had an RBI single in the second inning. He's homered in both of the last two games after taking a three-game break to rest and manage a hairline fracture in his right middle finger that he appears prepared to play through heading into September. The first baseman is up to a .286/.382/.486 slash line, 19 homers, 78 RBI, 72 runs scored and six stolen bases through 124 contests this season.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Swats homer in return
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Freeman went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's 10-9 win over the Diamondbacks.
Freeman is contending with a hairline fracture in his right middle finger, which was the reason he sat out the Dodgers' previous three games. His two-run homer in the first inning was his first long ball since Aug. 9, with the finger injury a contributor to that power drought. Friday's win put the Dodgers five games ahead of Arizona in the NL West, and the team could take a cautious approach with Freeman if it locks up a division crown early in September. The first baseman has a .283/.380/.478 slash line with 18 homers, 76 RBI, 71 runs scored, 31 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 123 games this season.
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Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Freeman (finger) will start at first base and bat third Friday against the Diamondbacks, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
After missing the entirety of Los Angeles' previous series against the Orioles due to a hairline fracture in his right middle finger, Freeman is now willing to play through whatever lingering pain he may still have. His availability will depend on how much discomfort he's in on any given day, so there's a chance he sits down more often than usual during the final month of the year.
