Los Angeles Dodgersfirst basemanFreddie Freeman was willing to put his body on the line while tracking a foul ball, tumbling down the Kansas City Royals' dugout steps on Wednesday.
It was a worrying sight as the six-foot-four frame of Freeman disappeared from view, followed by a rush of Royals players and staff around Freeman. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Freeman was able to walk away on his own, suffering some soreness in the aftermath.
Freeman wanted to stay in the game, but as the adrenaline wore off and the soreness got even worse, manager Dave Roberts took Freeman out of the game in the eighth inning, with Tommy Edman taking over for the 36-year-old.
"Freeman is a little sore from the fall," Roberts said, according to DodgerInsider on X. "But it won't compromise his performance."
After the game, Freeman echoed the same, saying he avoided the worst of it.
"I didn't hit my head, so that was the key part there," Freeman said. "I am sore, but I'm in good spirits."
Freeman was back in the lineup Thursday for the series opener against the Brewers, playing first base and batting cleanup. He finished the night 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
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His steady production is why the Dodgers were feared the worst when he went down. Freeman is batting .304 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs, numbers that would be difficult to replace in the middle of a postseason race.
He'll now take his previously planned rest day on Friday, with the Dodgers holding the top spot in the National League West.
