Freddie Freeman prides himself on his durability, the Dodgers first baseman having played all 162 games twice and 157 games or more six other times, a resolve that has required him to play through numerous injuries throughout his 15-year career, including a broken right-middle finger in August.
But Freeman has never fought through an injury as serious as the right-ankle sprain he will attempt to play with when the Dodgers open the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres in Chavez Ravine on Saturday night.
“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,” said Freeman, who suffered the injury while trying to avoid a tag while running out a grounder in the Sept. 26 division-clinching win over the Padres. “I’m not going to be hindering, I don’t think.
“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.”
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Freeman was a limited participant in Thursday’s workout, but he fielded ground balls and threw to second base, ran the bases and took batting practice on the field during Friday’s workout. Manager Dave Roberts said he was “hopeful” Freeman would be in the lineup for Game 1, but a final decision won’t be made until Saturday.
“A lot of treatment, a lot of time in the training room,” Freeman said, when asked what his last week has looked like. “The swelling has come down a lot, so I feel good. Good enough. I’m sure you’ll be watching me, the slowing down part of running is going to be [tough]. But overall, today I felt much better than I have the last couple of days.”
Freeman, who hit .282 with an .854 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 22 home runs, 35 doubles and 89 RBIs in 147 games this season, said the toughest movement on the field so far has been hitting the bag with his right foot as he runs the bases.
“If I can hit the bag with my left foot, maybe [it wouldn’t be as bad],” Freeman said. “But I think in the game, whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I feel stable enough to hit. I tried to push off as hard as I could [with my right foot] in covering first base in those drills. And I felt good enough.”
Not playing in this best-of-five series does not appear to be an option for Freeman, who began answering a question before a reporter could finish asking him how he will know if the injury is too hindering for him to continue.
“It doesn’t matter,” Freeman said. “[Saturday], who cares? No one is going to worry about me hindering [the team] or anything like that. We just gotta win ballgames, and that’s my focus [on Saturday].”
As tough as it will be to overcome the ankle sprain, it’s just the latest obstacle in a difficult season for Freeman, who missed eight games in late July and early August to be with his 3-year-old son, Maximus, who is still recovering from a life-threatening bout with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
“The second half [of the season] has been a challenge — I think everyone in here knows, it’s been a lot,” Freeman said. “Sometimes you get hurt, like I sprained my ankle and had to stay home for those three days and was in here five hours a day getting treatment.
“But getting to put the kids to bed, seeing Max walking now, things are so much better. It’s been challenging … injuries that you just didn’t think would happen, but they happen. Every year is different. You just have to take it in stride. But we’re still here. We’ve got Game 1 of the playoffs, smile on your face, everything is OK.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.