Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects Freddie Freeman to return to the lineup on Friday, just in time for the start of a three-game home series against the Cubs.
Freeman has ramped up with live batting practice over the last few days, working his way back from a right ankle sprain that landed him on the injured list retroactive to March 31. He injured the same surgically repaired ankle in an odd, off-field mishap—slipping in the shower at home.
Roberts told MLB.com that he’s been keeping tabs on Freeman through live video streams, and from what he’s seen, the manager feels pretty confident that the ankle has come a long way in its recovery.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that his time on the IL was beneficial. Just looking at his gait running yesterday, I would say that it’s better than it was when he started the season,” Roberts told reporters. “I saw him do some lateral stuff, but that’s probably a better question for Freddie.”
Freeman had a modest start at the plate before the setback, going 3-for-12 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs across three games. He missed the second game of the Dodgers’ season-opening trip to Tokyo due to rib discomfort and sat out the series against Atlanta prior to hitting the IL.
This is the same ankle that Freeman sprained late last season, which hindered him during the early stages of the postseason. Still, he managed to catch fire in the World Series, slugging four homers in five games against the Yankees to capture MVP honors. He had surgery in December to clean up loose bodies in the joint, aiming to put the issue behind him for good.
