Freddie Freeman was absent from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup for their recent game. Dalton Rushing took his place at first base.
Surprise Day Off for Freeman
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed the reasoning behind Freeman’s surprise exclusion from the lineup, saying it was just a day off. Roberts said he felt that it was a good day to “sit and watch a ball game”.
Roberts continued that he felt it was still the right thing to give Freeman a day off in the middle of a 13-game stretch. Roberts texted Freeman a couple days ago letting him know about this plan.
Freeman tried to convince him multiple times that he was OK to play, but Roberts “remained firm” in his decision. Roberts said, “I still think it’s the right decision.”
Freeman’s Season So Far
Freeman has appeared in 42 games for the Dodgers this year. He is slashing .270/.343/.423 with four home runs, 20 runs batted in and an OPS of .766.
He went through an early season struggle that led him to change something in his mechanics. Freeman slightly altered his batting stance, turning his front foot inward, trying to focus on keeping his front hip from opening up.
“I was just in Houston one day, in the morning, and I was like, ‘You know, I can’t keep pushing balls to left field,’” Freeman said. “I’ve always done little tweaks mentally, externally. I’ve always done like a, hip in. And this time, I just did a foot turn in, to do the same thing.”
The move paid instant dividends, as he went 4-for-11 in the series against the Houston Astros and then homered off Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale in the opener of the next series.
However, Freeman has struggled again over the last six games, going just 4-for-19 (.211) with an OPS of .611.
Freeman doesn’t like to miss games unless he has to, and rarely takes days off — especially this early in the season. Earlier this year, Freeman said he planned on missing three games this season: two for the birth of his daughter and one the day after the Dodgers clinched the National League West division.
Freeman already missed two games on the paternity list, and the Dodgers aren’t clinching the NL West in May. So, there was immediately some questions regarding his absence.
The big news surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup was the fact that starting pitcher Blake Snell was scratched from his scheduled start. Snell was getting set for his second start of the 2026 season, but instead is going on the injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow. That overshadowed another big story in the release of the lineup.