Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman Placed on IL After Reinjuring Right Ankle in Shower Accident
Freddie Freeman can’t catch a break with all these injuries lately.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman landed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday due to a right ankle sprain suffered during a spill in the shower last weekend. It’s the same ankle he had surgically repaired following the 2024 World Series.
Thankfully, the 35-year-old didn’t suffer any major damage, as X-rays came back negative without showing any additional structural concerns. He last suited up in Saturday’s contest against the Detroit Tigers, belting his second of two home runs through his first three games.
Freeman said he slipped in the shower at home Sunday morning, losing his balance after stepping into the shower-tub combination. His wife, Chelsea, drove him to Dodger Stadium afterwards to be assessed by the club’s training staff.
“I stepped in and my foot slid and I went down,” Freeman recalled while speaking to reporters, including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. “Freak accident. Can’t really make it up.”
Despite reinjuring his ankle, Freeman still had a chance to return to the Dodgers’ lineup earlier this week, with manager Dave Roberts describing him as having a “50/50” chance to play in Wednesday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves, his former team.
While the eight-time All-Star worked out on the field pre-game, he didn’t end up drawing in and is now slated to miss his current team’s upcoming six-game road trip in Philadelphia and Washington. His IL stint is retroactive to Mar. 31, so he’ll be first eligible to return next Friday versus the Chicago Cubs.
Los Angeles is exercising extreme caution with one of its superstar sluggers after he played through multiple injuries last post-season.
“It’s a glass door, so it could have been so much worse,” Freeman said. “I could have hit my head or something like that. So I’m very thankful that it was just a little mishap with my ankle.”
Freeman’s ankle injury originated late last season as he tore ligaments on a play while running to first base. But he continued to play through the ailment, as well as a separate rib injury and a fractured finger, helping the Dodgers secure their second World Series title in four years.
The 16-season MLB veteran and 2020 NL MVP aggravated his previous rib injury late in spring training, causing him to miss both games in Toyko, Japan, against the Cubs last month. Adding insult to injury, he also contracted an illness during the club’s trip overseas.
When the Dodgers returned home, Freeman re-entered the starting lineup despite his right ankle still not fully recovered from last off-season’s procedure, and that was before he re-injured it a few days later.
This is Freeman’s first non-COVID-related IL stint since he fractured his wrist in 2017 with Atlanta. In his absence, Kike Hernández – who’s filled in at first base in each of the last three games – is expected to primarily occupy duties on the right corner of the infield.
Los Angeles hasn’t missed a beat since defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series last November, as they’re off to an 8-0 start entering Friday’s series opener in Philadelphia – the best season-opening record of any reigning champion in MLB history.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.