Maybe it’s the World Series match that everyone wanted to see. But three days before Dodgers and the New York Yankees were set to open their best of seven sets, Freddie Freeman had no intention of looking aside.
Although he missed two of the Dodgers’ last three games in the National League Championship Series and only played one of 15 in the last three games he played due to a severely sprained right ankle, the first baseman said Tuesday that he expects to be “a 100% go” for Game 1 Friday.
“I don’t think anyone has any doubt,” Freeman said, “that I’ll be in the lineup for the first game.”
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Although this postseason has been tough for Freeman, who suffered a sprain on Sept. 26 that was serious enough to warrant a four- to six-week absence from the regular season, the 35-year-old said the week off he’s getting had been “precious”. Not only is he receiving additional treatment, but he has also been able to avoid running, which aggravates his injury the most.
“I can still hit, I can do all that kind of stuff,” Freeman said. “And I’m now three days in a row without running and I’m just processing it. So every day will be better.
While Freeman had four hits in four games in the Division Series and then opened the NLCS by reaching base three times with an RBI in Game 1, the rest of the Championship Series became a chore. Although he served as an inspiration, Freeman said the sprain began to hinder his performance.
In Game 2, Freeman went hitless in five at-bats. He also determined that the support tape he wore around his ankle was no longer doing much good, abandoning the method after noticing that it was putting extra pressure on the injury.
In Game 3, Freeman singled in the fifth inning, but was pulled out in the eighth while working at the plate. And even after a day off in Game 4, Freeman went 0 for 5 upon his return the next night, calling it “one of the first times I felt like my ankle had compromised my swing “.
“About a week ago, I could go four or five innings before I had trouble walking,” Freeman added. “And obviously in Game 5, it started happening right after my first at-bat.”
So when Freeman and manager Dave Roberts discussed his status for Game 6, both agreed it would be best to keep the eight-time All-Star out of the lineup.
“Believe me, when I walk through the front doors of our clubhouse, everything is checked at the door, and all I want to do is win,” Freeman said. “And my ankle is obviously compromised, so if I’m not in the lineup that day, that means the best options are with our guys. And I have the most confidence (in them).
Laughing, Freeman then noted that the team is not only 3-0 in the games he’s missed in the postseason, but has totaled 28 points in the process.
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“Obviously the guys are swinging their bats really well,” Freeman said. “So yeah, it was hard. But I think it was just better for the situation with my ankle… than trying to get another game out of the way.
Freeman will enter Game 1 after six days of rest — a break that eased his discomfort, gave him valuable time to work on his swing and prepared him to no longer watch from the sidelines.
Pitch plans
The Dodgers will start Jack Flaherty in game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, Roberts announced. Walker Bühler will likely start Game 3 or 4, with the other expected to be a bullpen game.
In the bullpen, Roberts also said injured relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol are “trending in the right direction” but those will be last-minute roster decisions.
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
