Los Angeles Dodgers Star Freddie Freeman Shares Health Update on His Son, Max

Maximus Freeman, son of Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, has been hospitalized as he continues to fight a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Jun 19, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) with sons Brandon Freeman, Maximus Freeman, Charlie Freeman and wife Chelsea Freeman (Chelsea Goff) before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Maximus Freeman, the 3-year-old son of Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, is currently battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Freeman and his wife, Chelsea Freeman shared an update on Maximus' health on social media on Thursday. Max "rapidly declined" last Friday, went into full-body paralysis and needed to have his lungs reinforced when he arrived at the hospital.

That same night, Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers' lineup against the Houston Astros. He was placed on the family emergency list the following day, and he can remain on it until Saturday.

Max has since been taken off of a ventilator and no longer requires a breathing tube, as his condition has supposedly been improving over the last 48 hours.

Chelsea had previously posted on her Instagram story that Max had developed transient synovitis after coming down with a viral infection at All-Star week in Arlington, Texas, earlier in July. The diagnosis has since changed, though.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which the immune system attacks and damages the nervous system, leading to varying degrees of paralysis. As rare as it is overall, it is even more rare among children, unlike transient synovitis.

Here is the full update issued by the Freeman family, including a timeline of events and a call for prayer:

We wanted to give an update on Maximus. Last Friday, Max rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis. We are very fortunate to have gotten him to the hospital in time so they could reinforce his lungs. Freddie was in Houston at the time and rushed to the first flight back home. After many tests, Max is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives. Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed. We have been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours. Maximus was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator yesterday, which is a huge win for us. We believe in the power of prayer and we have been witnessing a miracle in his recovery. Please continue to cover Maximus and our family in your prayers. We really appreciate and have felt all of your support. 🙏🏻 #GuillainBarreSyndrome #GBSAwareness #GBS #MaxStrong

- Chelsea Freeman, Instagram

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A post shared by Chelsea Freeman (@chelseafreeman5)

Freddie Freeman, who is batting .288 with an .888 OPS and 3.8 WAR this season, has not appeared in a game since July 25. Manager Dave Roberts has left the door open for the eight-time All-Star to return to the lineup against the Oakland Athletics on Friday, but even that remains up in the air.

The 34-year-old slugger and his 33-year-old wife and three sons: Charlie, Brandon and Max. Brandon was born six weeks before Max via a surrogate, which the couple had planned when they didn't believe they could get pregnant again.

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