The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a bit of a scare last week when Freddie Freeman was removed from Team Canada’s World Baseball Classic game against Colombia due to a reported right hamstring injury.
Signs of trouble surfaced when Freeman flied out in the third inning and jogged gingerly to first base. He initially remained in the game but came out at the start of the bottom of the fourth inning, and was seen on the broadcast grabbing at his right hamstring.
Freeman expressed confidence the injury was minor and that he would be ready for Opening Day. The six-time All-Star returned to the Dodgers lineup on Saturday and played four innings at first base.
Freeman said after the game that he didn’t limit himself on the field and came away encouraged, via Jack Harris and Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“I checked all the boxes I needed to today,” Freeman said. “I didn’t baby it at all. I ran curves [around the infield dirt] on a back field [on Friday] and ran as hard as I could and made it through that. I came in today and wasn’t really that sore. If I was going to baby it, then I shouldn’t have been out there.”
Freeman feeling healthy after his first game back is a boon to the Dodgers and further indication that he will be ready to go for the start of the regular season.
One downside to the injury was that Freeman had to miss Canada’s final game in the WBC. The country went 2-2 during pool play and didn’t advance to the quarterfinals.
Freeman hit .200 with a .473 on-base plus slugging percentage and collected one RBI in three games. The 2023 WBC was Freeman’s second time participating in the international tournament, and he has a desire to do so in future iterations as well.
Freddie Freeman thriving in Cactus League play
While Freeman somewhat struggled during the WBC, that has not been the case in Cactus League play. He is batting a stellar .421/.500/1.000 with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI in eight games.
Freeman reached base safely in all three plate appearances in his return to the Dodgers lineup.
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