The legend of Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam from Game 1 of the World Series isn't just about the moment itself but the circumstances under which he played.
Everyone knew about the rolled ankle he sustained during the Dodgers' last home series when he tried to run out a throw to first and stumbled over the bag. He didn't play during the Dodgers' last regular season series against the Rockies, but he remained on all of LA's postseason rosters.
What fans didn't know at the time was that he was also playing through a broken rib, which was only reported after the Dodgers had won the whole thing, and after Freeman had hit even more homers from Games 2 through 4. All while he was manually taping his ankle together and receiving pain-relieving injections multiple times in every game.
In December, he underwent surgery on his ankle "consisting of debridement and the removal of loose bodies," which sounds both disgusting and incredibly painful. It left some cause for concern about when he would be able to return to the lineup in 2025.
At DodgerFest, Freeman said he wouldn't be ready by spring training but expected to be ready for the Tokyo Series starting on March 18.
Freddie Freeman has started swinging, but hasn’t started running yet after ankle surgery. Freeman said he won’t be in Cactus League games to start but expects to be ready for Tokyo.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 1, 2025
Freeman said he tore ankle ligaments last October, too, but those healed before surgery.
Freddie Freeman won't play in Dodgers spring training games but expects to be ready by Tokyo Series
Dodgers spring training kicks off on Feb. 11, when pitchers and catchers report to Camelback Ranch in Glendale. Games commence on Feb. 20 with a two-game series against the Cubs to foreshadow the Tokyo Series in March.
Although it'll be sad not to see Freeman suit up with the rest of the team in just a few weeks' time, the Dodgers are right in treating their World Series MVP carefully when they don't need him to be at full power, especially because Freeman is clearly a grinder who will go all-out the second he's cleared to do so.
It's likely that the Dodgers will give Max Muncy a few reps at first, or even non-roster invitee David Bote, the former Cubs fan favorite who signed a minor league deal with LA last year. Freeman missing spring training definitely isn't the end of the world as long as it means he'll be at 100% when the regular season officially begins.