The Los Angeles Dodgers have been nothing short of snake bit by injuries this season, and now there’s a minor issue to monitor with Freddie Freeman.
Ken Rosenthal said on the Fox broadcast that Freeman was removed because a finger on his right hand began to swell after he jammed it while fielding a ground ball in the sixth inning.
The first sign of trouble was in the top of the eighth, when Teoscar Hernández appeared in the on-deck circle to pinch-hit for Freeman, but Mookie Betts was retired for the third out.
Freeman was removed in the bottom of the eighth and replaced by Kiké Hernández at first base. Nick Ahmed entered to play shortstop, which slid Miguel Rojas over to third base with Hernández going across the diamond.
According to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, Freeman jammed his right middle finger but X-rays came back negative:
#Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman said he actually jammed middle finger when the ground ball hit his throwing hand. X-Rays were negative. He said he is day to day.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 18, 2024
He left the game with the Dodgers trailing 4-2, though their deficit immediately grew as Nolan Arenado hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth.
Jason Heyward pinch-hit for Ahmed to lead off the ninth inning and grounded out.
Freeman went 1-for-3 with an RBI prior to being removed early. His RBI single gave the Dodgers an early lead in the ninth inning but the Cardinals responded in the bottom half to pull even and never trailed again.
Freeman had started every game this season until leaving the team on July 26 in order to be with his family and son, Maximus, who was hospitalized by Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes the body’s immune system to fight its own nerves.
He missed eight games before returning to the Dodgers lineup on Aug. 5.
MLB Players Weekend: Freddie Freeman
With this being MLB Players Weekend 2024, Freeman is participating with custom cleats and bats that celebrate his three sons, Charlie, Brandon and Max.
In addition to the special cleats, Freeman has one bat with each of his sons’ names on them (Charlie, Brandon and Maximus) and the design included “#MaxStrong” engraved on all three as well.
Freeman’s custom equipment further is tied to Max’s recovery by being a “Spider-Man” theme color. When recalling the harrowing situation his family went through, Freeman shared Max started mimicking the act of shooting spider webs as he began to improve in the hospital.
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