Freddie Freeman exited Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs early, pulled after an awkward check swing left him wincing and gazing at his wrist.
The Dodgers, already reeling through a five-game skid and staring at a second straight three-game sweep, can barely afford to lose their sturdiest bat for long.
With the Dodgers trailing 6-1, Freeman in his fifth-inning at-bat turned strange in a hurry as he fouled off a pitch with a check swing, then grimaced while glancing down at his left wrist, according to SI.com. He still flied out to finish the at-bat 1-for-3 on the afternoon, but he did not return to the field again. Kiké Hernández replaced him at first base to start the bottom of the fifth, with the Dodgers trailing 6-1.
After the game, the Dodgers got apparently positive news. X-Rays on Freeman’s wrist proved negative, meaning the time All-Star suffered no visible fractures, and manager Dave Roberts expected him in the lineup on Friday, according to a report by Jack Harris of the California Post.
Freeman’s Wrist Scare With the Dodgers
No club or player confirmed an injury diagnosis by late Wednesday afternoon. Manager Dave Roberts has pulled veteran regulars from games that got out of hand before, and this one had. Still, Freeman was the only Dodgers starter lifted in the bottom half of the fifth, a detail that stood out given the circumstances.
The Dodgers have Thursday off before opening a series at Arizona, buying Freeman and the training staff extra time to evaluate the wrist without the pressure of a lineup card the next day. The team is expected to provide clarity on his status as that series approaches.
A prolonged absence would test a lineup already trying to answer for other injuries. Freeman has been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent hitters for four seasons running, and Wednesday marked the second time in as many years his left wrist has drawn concern in the middle of a game. The Dodgers have leaned on his steadiness at the top of the order all summer, and replacing that production, even for a handful of games, would cause reverberations in a lineup already searching for answers during the skid.
Freddie Freeman’s Season and Injury History
Freeman entered Wednesday hitting .310 with 15 home runs, 54 RBI and an .870 OPS across 112 games. His 131 hits rank third in the National League, his .385 on-base percentage sits among the league’s top handful of qualified hitters, and the Dodgers, at 69-45, remain in first place in the NL West.
Freeman fractured his left wrist on a hit-by-pitch in May 2017, according to FOX Sports, an injury that cost him roughly seven weeks and 44 games that summer. A left wrist contusion sidelined him briefly again last July, though X-rays came back negative that time and he avoided a longer absence.
He has also battled ankle and rib problems in recent seasons, including a right ankle sprain that landed him on the injured list last spring and a bruised ankle he played through during the Dodgers’ run to the 2024 World Series title.
Los Angeles built a roster deep enough to withstand injuries elsewhere, but first base remains thin behind Freeman, and Hernández profiles as a stopgap rather than a long-term answer there. Losing Freeman for any real stretch would thin out a batting order that has leaned on his ability to work counts and drive in runs.
Freddie Freeman Injury Update: Dodgers Star Gets X-Rays Back After Cubs Game Exit