Report: Dodgers 1B Freeman's playoff status up in air after ankle injury against Padres
Published
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman reportedly suffered an ankle injury in their division title-clinching victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday, and may not be ready for the start of the playoffs as a result.
Freeman told reporters after the 7-2 victory that locked up the Dodgers' third consecutive NL West title - and 11th in the last 12 seasons - that he would not travel to Colorado for the final series of the regular season. He will instead stay in Los Angeles for treatment on his sprained ankle.
The 35-year-old appeared to injure his ankle while trying to beat out a groundball in the bottom of the seventh inning, and said after the game that he has never suffered a sprained ankle before but is "going to do everything I can" to be ready for the playoffs.
He was spotted wearing a walking boot and using crutches inside the Dodgers' clubhouse after the game.
Freeman has spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles after playing his first 12 years with the Atlanta Braves. He's finished in the top 10 in MVP voting each of the last six seasons, and will finish his 2024 campaign with a .282 batting average to go with 22 home runs and 89 RBI.
The Dodgers' victory on Thursday also guaranteed them a spot in the NL Division Series, giving Freeman a few extra days to heal up. Their first opponent in the playoffs will be determined by the victors in the NL Wild Card round.