Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Why Was Freddie Freeman Out of the Dodgers Lineup… Again?

No need to panic!

Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Just two games into his return from the injured list, Freddie Freeman was out of the Dodgers lineup again on Sunday. A day after Los Angeles was handed its worst home loss in franchise history, the club decided to rest its star first baseman.

Freddie Freeman had already missed nine straight games after an unlucky injury, tweaking his surgically repaired ankle in a slip in the shower. He made it back in time for his own bobblehead night on Friday, but after just two starts, the Dodgers have pulled back.

Freddie Freeman's son Charlie threw out the first pitch yesterday on his dad's bobblehead night 🥹 pic.twitter.com/GztHkk1SWJ
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2025

Kiké Hernández once again filled in at first base. With Andy Pages also sitting out after an 0-for-6 stretch in the series, manager Dave Roberts shuffled the deck, Miguel Rojas moved to second, and Tommy Edman shifted back to center field to cover the gaps.

Freeman’s absence might have raised eyebrows, but the decision to sit him was hardly a surprise. The Dodgers have been methodical about not rushing the former MVP, especially considering how banged up he played through last October. Even before this latest ankle scare, Freeman entered 2025 still recovering from a rib injury he suffered during the season opener in Japan, an injury he later revealed included broken cartilage.

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“I hate to admit it,” Freeman said Friday after returning to action, “but I might have needed these 10 days.”

The Dodgers clearly aren’t willing to gamble with Freeman’s health. He played through pain en route to a championship last fall. Now, in a long 162-game season, they’re choosing prudence. Because at the end of the day, all that matters is a healthy, fit, and ready-to-go Freddie Freeman come October. Though even a banged-up Freeman is just as scary.

It’s been a rough stretch overall for the Dodgers, who dropped their third consecutive series on Sunday after a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Dodgers

Freddie Freeman

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.