Freddie Freeman Is Hurting Right Now — Details on His Condition as Postseason Nears

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to play it safe with first baseman Freddie Freeman as the postseason approaches.

Freeman, 37, missed Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds due to what the Dodgers called knee soreness. This is a lingering issue that has kept him out of the starting nine three times in five games.

The veteran player said that the issue is patellar tendinitis while manager Dave Roberts has explained that the issue disrupts Freeman when he is batting.

“Freddie does a really good job of hitting against his front side, and then when you can’t do that with your front side — your right knee — then you’re compromised,” Roberts said last week.

“I see there’s (been) a lot more swing-and-miss in the last few days. That’s just not who he is.”

But while the knee soreness has kept Freeman out of the lineup at times, the Dodgers aren’t putting him on the Injured List. In fact, he returned to first base on Tuesday against the Reds.

Roberts explained the decision on Sept. 14 while saying that the team viewed Freeman as “day-to-day.” He said that giving the veteran player more time off now would make it less likely that the team needs to manage the knee issue during the postseason.

“And then also in the postseason, there’s more off-days,” Roberts said. “So I think that just trying to get ahold of it, I think that’s the main thing.”

The Dodgers have the luxury of being able to be cautious with Freeman’s recovery. After all, the team has already clinched a postseason berth. The team also remains one win away from clinching the National League West.

The Polymarket traders believe that the Dodgers will beat the Reds on Wednesday evening (6:40 p.m. ET) to take the NL West yet again.

These traders give the Dodgers a 66% chance to win the game and clinch the division crown. The Reds, who have been eliminated from postseason contention, have a mere 35% chance to pull off the upset.

Once the Dodgers clinch the division, the focus will turn to the conference. The team plans on winning the National League, reaching the World Series, and winning the title for the third consecutive season.

The Polymarket traders have the Dodgers at 40% odds to win the National League. This tops the list of contenders. For comparison, the Brewers are second at 25%.

Getting Freeman closer to full health will aid in the pursuit of this goal, and the Dodgers will continue to push toward this outcome by limiting his time on the diamond during the final games of the regular season.

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