Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Freddie Freeman Injury Update: When Will Dodgers Star Return?

Freddie Freeman is set to return very soon!

Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Dodgers’ trip through the East Coast caused a slight dent in their win column, and maybe it was Freddie Freeman’s absence that didn’t help either. That absence, however, is about to end.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Freeman is expected to rejoin the lineup on Friday when the Dodgers open a home series against the Cubs. The timing is fitting: Friday also marks the team’s giveaway night honoring Freeman’s iconic walk-off grand slam from Game 1 of last year’s World Series, a moment that ultimately propelled him to World Series MVP honors.

Freeman has been sidelined since Los Angeles’ first home series against the Tigers, where he went 3-for-12 with two home runs and four RBIs. The injury didn’t happen on the field but rather at home when Freddie Freeman aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle after slipping in the shower, prompting a move to the 10-day injured list. He missed a three-game series against the Braves before the team made the IL stint official.

Managing that ankle was always going to be part of Freeman’s 2025 journey. He underwent offseason surgery after gutting through a severe sprain during the Dodgers’ playoff run last year. While Freeman has historically played through pain, Roberts noted that the veteran has come around to the idea that rest now can pay dividends later.

Dave Roberts said Freddie Freeman will return on Friday when Dodgers return home.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 9, 2025

“I would say that if we were to rewind three years ago, he would still be active right now, whereas I think now he understands the short-term gains, the long term. And he’ll be the first to tell you that his time on the IL was beneficial,” said Dodgers managed Dave Roberts.

That realization would’ve first hit Freeman during last postseason’s early rounds when brief rest stretches allowed him to reset physically ahead of the World Series. This time, rather than travel with the team, Freeman stayed back in L.A., facing Minor League pitchers and ramping up baseball activities under close watch. Roberts, who monitored his progress via video, said the ankle looks significantly better.

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The Dodgers are counting down to his return. Without Freeman, they’ve dropped four of their last six games, including three straight losses. Kiké Hernández has filled in at first base but hasn’t offered much offensively..

In contrast, Freeman has played just three games but already flashed power, slugging two homers and posting an OPS north of 1.000. The Dodgers will play one more game without him on Wednesday before welcoming back one of their most dependable and dangerous bats.

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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.