The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting ready for the postseason, but Freddie Freeman is dealing with a right knee injury.
Dave Roberts noted that he is dealing with patellar tendonitis, and he kept Freeman out of the lineup on Wednesday and Friday. Freeman went 0-for-4 in both Saturday and Sunday's games, and Roberts spoke about his injury.
"Just talking to him today, he said he felt good,” Roberts said after Sunday's game. “Obviously, the swings don’t indicate that, don’t kind of validate that … The last week, it’s pretty obvious that he’s not himself in the box."
The Dodgers are currently without Shohei Ohtani, who is on the injured list. Freeman has been one of, if not the Dodgers' most consistent producers this year. Not having him at 100% for October could be a major problem if Ohtani is not himself when he comes off the injured list.
Freeman played through injuries during the Dodgers' 2024 World Series run, winning World Series MVP as well. However, this Dodgers team has some other flaws as well. The bullpen has not been consistent, and Ohtani is in a big offensive slump as he battles injuries. The Dodgers are going to need Freeman to start swinging a hot bat again, but his injury could hold him back.
The Dodgers can still earn a bye, and they may need it more than any team in the National League. The team needs its stars to get healthy, but the Atlanta Braves are just 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the standings and want to claim a bye for themselves.