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The Los Angeles Dodgers will have to keep their season alive Wednesday night without first baseman Freddie Freeman in the starting lineup. The Dodgers scratched Freeman about two hours before the first pitch of NLDS Game 4 against the San Diego Padres.
Freeman, 35, sprained his ankle a week before the end of the regular season. Although he started each of Los Angeles’ first three postseason games, he exited early in Games 2 and 3. Freeman previously revealed that he was told the injury had an expected recovery period of more than a month.
“[He’s] “He’s there now,” head coach Dave Roberts said of Freeman’s status before Game 4. “But unless something changes as he prepares, I might have to switch. But right now he’s there.”
It’s unclear whether Freeman will be available on the bench, or whether the Dodgers will have to remove him from the roster if the Series advances to Game 5. Remember, MLB rules dictate that any player removed from a round-robin roster is ineligible for the next game. circular. That would leave Freeman out of the equation until the World Series.
With Freeman sidelined for at least the start of Game 4, the Dodgers will turn to Max Muncy at first base and veteran utility player Enrique Hernandez at hot corner.
Freeman hit .282/.378/.476 (143 OPS+) with 22 home runs and 89 runs batted in during the regular season. His contributions amounted to an estimated 4.7 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference’s calculations.
The Dodgers trail the Padres in the best-of-five series by a 2-1 margin. A Padres win on Wednesday would send San Diego to the National League Championship Series. It would also send the Dodgers home for the winter.
