Freddie Freeman Opens Up About Son's Frightening Illness After Making Dodgers Return

Patrick Andres | Aug 6, 2024

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) acknowledges the crowd as he got a standing ovation as he approached the plate for his first at-bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman made an emotional return to the field after a frightening ordeal.

Freeman's three-year-old son, Max, was hospitalized over the past week with Guillain–Barre syndrome—a rare neurological disorder that causes a rapid weakening of muscles. After the Dodgers' 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Freeman discussed his family's experience.

"You can see his smile again," Freeman said of Max's gradual recovery in a video posted to MLB's social media. "She (Chelsea, his wife) showed me one of the pictures she was going to let out. And that's how he is at home right now."

Freeman, a 34-year-old eight-time All-Star, collected a hit in his comeback.

Freddie Freeman rejoined the Dodgers Monday and was able to share some positive news about his 3-year-old son Max. 💙 pic.twitter.com/8t9nd9yZI9

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024

"When he had the ventilator out, and his feeding tube came out, he still had his IVs in, and he was acting like he was Spider-Man," Freeman said. "If you talked to me six days ago, I would never have been able to speak to you... the reason I've been able to get through this is because of the huge wins we've been getting."