Freddie Freeman’s absence from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Opening Day lineup in the Tokyo Series due to rib discomfort reminiscent of his postseason injury caused concern. However, Freeman provided a reassuring update to the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris on Monday, suggesting a swift recovery.
“Hopefully it will be an afterthought by Thursday,” Freeman told Harris. “I was able to hit in the cage and do whatever I wanted to on the day of Game 2 [in Japan]. But just didn’t know, [at] game speed, if it would make it come up again. So I thought we ultimately made the right decision.”
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He attributed the discomfort to scar tissue buildup from his previous rib injury and confirmed that an MRI was deemed unnecessary.
Freeman’s resilience was on full display during the Dodgers’ World Series run, despite playing with broken rib cartilage and a sprained ankle. Remarkably, he delivered an outstanding postseason performance, earning him the World Series MVP award and contributing to the franchise’s eighth championship.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts characterized Freeman’s recent rib issue as “not as severe” as the one he endured in the postseason.
Freeman’s return to the Dodgers’ lineup occurred during Sunday’s spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. He participated in the first two games of the series but has yet to record a hit since his return.
Meanwhile, Mookie Betts, who has been battling an illness, is expected to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday’s series finale against the Angels, according to Roberts.