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Freddie Freeman checks final boxes, expected to be in Dodgers’ lineup

Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers works out on the field during a workout prior to Saturday’s game 1 of the National League Division Series playoff baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/ SCNG)

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LOS ANGELES – When Freddie Freeman sprained his ankle during the Dodgers’ last regular-season home game, he said the team’s medical staff told him the severity of the injury would normally require a four- to six-week stay on the Injured List.

“I’m going to try to do this in a week and play,” Freeman said during the Dodgers’ workout Friday afternoon.

Nine days removed from the injury, Freeman is expected to be in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

“I’m expecting him to be in the lineup,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “What that looks like, I guess we’ll know when we see him out there. But with Freddie, I don’t doubt that he’ll be ready to go.

“I expect him to be our first baseman.”

Roberts did even want to discuss the possibility of Freeman not being able to play.

“I really don’t want to let my mind go there,” Roberts said, before acknowledging Freeman would be on the roster in a pinch-hit role with Max Muncy the likely replacement at first base.

Freeman has slowly increased his activity in the past two days. He had been hitting in the batting cage. On Thursday, he took part in the Dodgers’ simulated game – but only batting. He did not break out of the box or run the bases and did not play defense.

On Friday, though, he did all of that, going through running and defense drills under the watchful eye of the Dodgers’ training staff. As he walked off the field to attend a hitters’ meeting, Freeman said “I’m good” as he passed reporters.

“So, I’ve hit. I’ve hit batting practice inside. I did the sim game yesterday,” he said. “The last two (boxes to check) was taking ground balls and running bases. That was my last couple checkboxes, and I was able to do that today.”

Freeman missed a total of 11 games in the previous five seasons. But an assortment of challenges this year – his son’s illness, a hairline fracture in the index finger on his right hand and now the sprained ankle – forced him to miss 15 games.

“I’ve never sprained an ankle before,” he said. “So that was the hardest thing – I didn’t know. And they say your first sprained ankle is the worst.

“It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow – who cares? No one is going to worry about me (being hindered) or anything like that tomorrow. We just gotta win ballgames and that’s my focus tomorrow.”

GAME TWO

Right-hander Yu Darvish will start Game 2 for the Padres – and at least one person was disappointed that he won’t be facing Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“Darvish has been my childhood hero,” Shohei Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I’ve seen him play in Japan and obviously in Major League Baseball.

“And my personal hope was that Darvish would have faced off against Yoshinobu. Obviously that’s not going to happen this time around, but I’m very honored and excited to be able to face him.”

GLASNOW PLAN

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been with the team this week. He has not been throwing and isn’t sure when he will resume. He said it is likely that he will have “re-imaging” done on his injured right elbow.

After that, he might have a more definitive plan of treatment for the offseason. But he does not think surgery is going to be necessary.

“I feel good right now,” Glasnow said. “I think I’ll know when I start throwing, you know what I mean? … I feel good right now, but I think it’s always such an up and down with the arm. So I thought I was gonna feel good here, and then this happened. But I think with that time in the off season and re-imaging and just like kind of compare and contrast, I think I’ll be good, just with all that time and being able to do all this stuff and build up, I think I’ll be good.”

Watching the Dodgers play on without him has been difficult, he said.

“It’s already hit me hard,” Glasnow said. “Even not playing the rest of the regular season games is really hard for me. But it’s nice to be around and, like, support the guys. And it does suck not to play, but all I can do is sit here and just kind of support them.”