Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Dodgers narrowly avoided a worst-case scenario on Sunday after star first baseman Freddie Freeman exited the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers with a left wrist injury. Freeman was hit by an 88-mph sinker from Jose Quintana in the bottom of the sixth inning and immediately took himself out of the game, walking straight toward the dugout without waiting for medical staff. His reaction raised serious concern, especially for a player known for grinding through pain.
Freddie Freeman left today’s game after being hit on the left hand/wrist pic.twitter.com/xl1a8Z55Pu
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 20, 2025
“He just doesn’t come out of games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I didn’t know why he was walking toward me. Then hearing him say it was his wrist and he couldn’t continue — yeah, really worried. And typically it’s the other way around.”
Fortunately for Los Angeles, postgame X-rays came back negative, revealing only a contusion. Roberts confirmed that Freeman is considered day-to-day.
“That one, I held my breath. I think we all did,” Roberts said. “When you’re scuffling, and to potentially lose a guy for four to six weeks, it’s obviously very scary. But exhale, sigh of relief after hearing that it was negative. We dodged a bullet there.”
Dodgers get good news regarding Freddie Freeman's wrist
Still, the timing couldn’t be worse for the defending World Series champs. The Dodgers were swept at home by the Brewers and have now lost 10 of their last 12 games — six of those to Milwaukee alone. Sunday’s 6-5 loss capped a season sweep by the Brewers, who became just the third team in the last 30 years to go undefeated against L.A. in a season series of at least five games.
Even with Freeman in a prolonged slump — batting just .188 since June 19 with one homer and 29 strikeouts — he remains a crucial piece of the Dodgers’ offensive identity. His season numbers (.292/.836 OPS, 10 home runs, 49 RBIs) earned him a starting nod in this year’s All-Star Game, and his presence in the lineup offers a stabilizing force.
Should Freeman miss time, Roberts said the team will look to rookie catcher Dalton Rushing and veteran infielder Miguel Rojas to cover first base duties. Rojas replaced Freeman on Sunday and has limited experience at first, while Rushing, a left-handed bat, played the position occasionally in Triple-A before his call-up.
Rushing is expected to start at first on Monday against the Minnesota Twins if Freeman isn’t ready to go. The rookie has primarily served as backup catcher to Will Smith but may see more reps at first if Freeman is sidelined beyond a few days.
Freeman has largely been durable this season aside from a brief 10-day IL stint in April due to an ankle injury. Now, with the Dodgers trying to fend off the surging Padres in the NL West, they’ll need Freeman back as soon as possible — but only if he’s healthy. “To lose [Freeman] longer, it would have been really tough to overcome,” Roberts said. “So yeah, we got lucky this time.”
