The Los Angeles Dodgers saw All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman exit with a hand injury against the Chicago Cubs. The team got good news on Freeman, who’s in the starting lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, per The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya.
This comes as no surprise. Freeman said after the Cubs game that he expected to be back in the lineup against Arizona after his early exit.
He left the game after getting hit in the hand by a foul ball after fouling off a high fastball from left-hander Shota Imanaga. X-rays were confirmed negative on Freeman’s left hand.
In 2026, Freeman owns a .310/.385/.485 slash line with 15 home runs. His offense is 40% better than the league-average hitter, with a 140 wRC+. That’s right in line with his numbers over the past three seasons.
Freddie Freeman Returns to Dodgers Lineup Before Critical Series vs. Diamondbacks
The Dodgers announced their starting lineup, as relayed by their TV distributor SportsNet LA. Freddie Freeman is batting third and playing first base.
Getting Freeman back is a huge boost for the Dodgers lineup, as they try to snap a six-game losing streak. The 36-year-old has hit tremendously well at Chase Field for his career. In that park, Freeman is a .370 hitter with 20 home runs and a 1.124 OPS.
Even after landing the prize of the trade deadline, Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers suffered back-to-back sweeps to the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.
Due to their six-game losing streak, the Dodgers have fallen behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League standings. Los Angeles is currently a game behind the Braves for the NL’s No. 2 seed for the postseason. That’s important, as the top two teams in each league get a bye in the Wild Card round.
For the Dodgers to break their six-game skid, they’ll need Freeman to get hot over the weekend. The series against the Diamondbacks is important, as the club needs to improve its play against a potential postseason opponent.
The current postseason bracket has the Dodgers hosting the Diamondbacks for the Wild Card round.
Dodgers Get Good Freddie Freeman Injury News Before Diamondbacks Series