Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman led his crew to the World Collection championship in 2024, with collection MVP honors to show it. That postseason run got here on the expense of his well being, nevertheless, as he performed by means of a bone bruise and sprain in his proper ankle that ultimately required him to endure surgical procedure in early December. On the time, the Dodgers instructed that Freeman would be capable of “take part in baseball actions” throughout Spring Coaching, however that imprecise timeline didn’t set a date for when he could be able to take part in video games once more.
Freeman himself supplied a little bit of readability on the scenario to reporters in the course of the Dodgers FanFest occasion immediately. As famous by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Freeman has resumed swinging a bat once more however has but to start out operating so far. With the beginning of Spring Coaching a matter of weeks away, it’s hardly a shock that Freeman indicated he gained’t be obtainable for the primary video games of Cactus League play this spring. Freeman did say that he “expects” to be prepared for the beginning of the Dodgers’ season in Tokyo on March 18, although in fact with that simply six weeks away a setback in his restoration may alter that timeline.
That Freeman needs to be prepared for the beginning of the season is unquestionably a aid for Dodgers followers, although it will hardly be a shock if the membership opted to be as cautious with him as potential to be able to guarantee he begins the season on the precise foot with pretty much as good of well being as potential. The slugger’s .282/.378/.476 slash line in 147 video games for the Dodgers in his age-34 marketing campaign final 12 months was a modest step again from his back-to-back top-4 MVP finishes in 2022 and ’23 however was nonetheless greater than sufficient to place him on the shortlist for the perfect first basemen within the sport final 12 months. Freeman as soon as once more figures to assist anchor the Dodgers lineup alongside fellow former MVPs Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani in 2025. It’s a lineup that largely seems to be the identical as final 12 months, although Michael Conforto has changed Jason Heyward within the outfield combine whereas Hyeseong Kim has taken over for Gavin Lux on the keystone.
Except for Freeman, nevertheless, the membership seems to be usually wholesome headed into Spring Coaching when gamers who’re anticipated to impression the 2025 crew on Opening Day. Proper-hander Tyler Glasnow was shut down in August attributable to an elbow sprain, however Dodgers Insider relays that Glasnow spoke at immediately’s fan occasion as properly. The proper-hander revealed that he’s resumed throwing and is feeling “pretty much as good as [he’s] ever felt.” The 31-year-old is among the most dominant hurlers within the sport when wholesome, however his 22 begins final 12 months had been a profession excessive as he’s consistently battled harm woes all through his profession. With Glasnow seemingly poised to be prepared for the beginning of the season, the Dodgers will certainly hope that their plans to make use of a six-man rotation this 12 months to be able to accommodate Ohtani in his return to pitching may also help Glasnow keep wholesome sufficient to pitch for them within the postseason this 12 months after he missed final 12 months’s World Collection run.
Turning again to the place participant facet of issues, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas joined Freeman in enjoying by means of harm in the course of the postseason and underwent sports activities hernia surgical procedure after the season concluded. As famous by Ardaya, Rojas spoke about his restoration course of throughout immediately’s fan occasion and revealed that he suffered from a post-surgery an infection that delayed his capacity to rehab for a few weeks. Happily, that now seems to be behind him as Rojas indicated he stays on observe to be totally prepared for Spring Coaching when it begins later this month. The addition of Kim together with Betts’s transfer again to the infield leaves Rojas with out an on a regular basis position headed into 2025, however he managed to carve out a task for himself in 103 video games underneath related circumstances final 12 months regardless of a visit to the injured checklist.
As for gamers who aren’t anticipated to be prepared for Opening Day, Ardaya notes that right-hander Emmet Sheehan supplied an replace on his restoration from Tommy John surgical procedure for the primary time since he went underneath the knife final Could. The proper-hander has resumed throwing off a mound at this level in his rehab and added that he hopes to start out pitching in rehab video games come Could or June. That timeline would put him on the mound for these video games simply over a 12 months after his surgical procedure, placing him kind of on observe for a standard restoration and to be a depth possibility out of the rotation or bullpen for L.A. within the second half this 12 months.
