Dave Roberts Weighs In If Freddie Freeman Will Be in Dodgers Lineup vs Padres

Valentina Martinez | Oct 5, 2024

Sep 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (22) singles against Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is confident that Freddie Freeman will be in the lineup for Game 1 of the NLDS.

As the week progressed, Freeman was tasked with "checking off all the boxes" in order to ensure he was fully capable of playing Saturday.

Freeman revealed the right ankle sprain is the worst injury he's had to play through. The injury would normally require a four to six-week injured list stint, but Freeman is attempting to shorten the process to just over a week.

“They told me this is a four- to six-week [injured list] stint, and I’m going to try to do this in a week and play,” Freeman told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times.

Freeman spoke to the media Friday about how he's reached the progress he's made to potentially play.

“A lot of treatment. A lot of time in the training room," Freeman said. "The swelling has come down a lot so I feel good, good enough. Overall, I felt much better than I have in the last couple of days. There are certain plays, like slowing down and stuff … I can’t thank [physical therapist] Bernard Li [enough], our whole training staff, for getting me to be able to do this. I’ve never sprained an ankle, and they say your first ankle sprain is the worst.”

If Freeman can't start he will likely be available to pinch-hit off the bench, but he did add that the most challenge movement on the field has been hitting the bases with his right foot when he runs.

Throughout his 15-year career, he's played through several injuries including a broken right middle finger in August. He frequently plays all 162 games each season, a testament to his durability.

The first baseman hit .282, 22 home runs, 25 doubles, and 89 RBIs in 147 games this season. He missed time this year due to a family emergency and injury.

Freeman's injury is another challenge the Dodgers have had to deal with this season. At this point, the injuries have become somewhat of a normal occurrence.

It makes it even more impressive that the Dodgers managed to win the division title in spite of all the injuries.

The Dodgers will continue the uphill battle of the 2024 season in the NLDS. Several analysts have dubbed Los Angeles as the underdogs of the matchup.

The top-seeded Dodgers can either rewrite the narrative of their postseason woes or continue the disheartening trend.