Freddie Freeman Day-to-Day With Right Knee Soreness as Dodgers Manage October Workload

The Dodgers are dealing with another injury concern involving the heart of their lineup, but Freddie Freeman’s situation appears considerably less serious than Shohei Ohtani’s.

Freeman was held out of Wednesday night’s 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds because of soreness in his right knee, an issue manager Dave Roberts acknowledged has been bothering the first baseman recently.

For now, Freeman is considered day to day.

And unlike Ohtani, who is heading to the 15-day injured list, Roberts made it clear that the Dodgers are not considering the same approach with Freeman.

Asked whether an IL stint was a possibility, Roberts responded: “Absolutely not.”

Knee Soreness Also Led to Tuesday’s DH Assignment

Wednesday was Freeman’s second game off in nine days.

There had already been a sign that Los Angeles was trying to reduce his workload Tuesday, when Freeman made a rare start at designated hitter instead of first base.

Roberts confirmed Wednesday that the knee issue was part of the reason for that decision.

There was no single play or specific incident that caused the soreness. Instead, it appears to be something Freeman has been dealing with over time.

That distinction matters because the Dodgers are approaching the situation as something that can be managed through rest rather than an injury requiring a lengthy shutdown.

With Los Angeles already scheduled to be off Thursday, holding Freeman out Wednesday gives him at least two consecutive days without game action.

The club will reassess him before Friday’s series opener in Miami.

Dodgers Could Give Freeman a Third Straight Day

MLB currently lists Freeman’s possible return as Friday, Sept. 11, but that is not guaranteed.

The Dodgers could decide to give him another game off in Miami, which would create three consecutive days of rest between Wednesday’s absence, Thursday’s scheduled off day and Friday.

Roberts said the team felt it made sense to take advantage of the schedule rather than push Freeman through another game while his knee was bothering him.

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With October approaching, that is likely to be the Dodgers’ approach whenever possible.

Freeman has been one of their most durable and consistent players, but there is little reason to turn manageable September soreness into something more significant.

Roberts Believes the Knee Has Affected Freeman at the Plate

The timing also helps explain Freeman’s recent offensive struggles.

Freeman entered Wednesday as the Dodgers’ leading hitter with a .297 batting average, but September has been a different story.

He is 3-for-22 this month with only one extra-base hit and has hit just one home run over his last 53 games.

Roberts believes the knee is contributing.

For a left-handed hitter like Freeman, the right knee is part of his front side. Roberts explained that Freeman normally does an excellent job hitting against that front side, but the knee discomfort has made it harder for him to do so effectively.

Roberts has also noticed more swing-and-miss than usual from Freeman recently — something that stands out for a hitter whose elite bat-to-ball skills have been one of the defining traits of his career.

That makes the Dodgers’ decision to rest him about more than simply preventing the injury from worsening.

They also want Freeman’s swing functioning normally again before the postseason.

Dodgers Suddenly Managing Two Superstar Injuries

Freeman’s knee issue comes at the same time Los Angeles is taking a much more significant step with Ohtani.

Ohtani is heading to the 15-day IL after his right biceps failed to improve enough through intermittent rest. The Dodgers will use that stint to give him a more complete reset before October.

Freeman’s situation, at least for now, is different.

There is no IL discussion.

There is no indication the Dodgers expect him to miss an extended period.

And there has been no reported new structural concern involving the knee.

The plan is rest, reassessment and potentially a return during the Miami series.

Still, having Ohtani and Freeman unavailable simultaneously Wednesday was a reminder of why Los Angeles is being increasingly cautious with its veteran stars.

The Dodgers were able to absorb both absences against Cincinnati, exploding for 14 runs to complete a sweep and extend their winning streak to seven games.

October will be a different situation.

Dodgers Have Little Reason to Push Freeman Now

The most important takeaway is that Freeman’s knee soreness is something to monitor, not something the Dodgers currently view as an injured-list situation.

If two or three days off get him feeling significantly better, Los Angeles can afford to make that trade.

The Dodgers want Freeman playing.

They just need him playing effectively when the postseason arrives.

And after watching the knee begin to affect both his defensive workload and potentially his swing, Roberts appears willing to sacrifice a few September at-bats to make that more likely.

For now, Freeman remains day to day, with Friday in Miami the earliest likely opportunity for him to return.