Freddie Freeman Turns 37 with Hopes for Health

Freddie Freeman marked his 37th birthday on Saturday with a wish for better health to be his standout gift this year.

After sitting out the Dodgers’ previous two games due to a right knee injury, Freeman made his return to the field during the Saturday afternoon matchup against the Marlins. He felt, as he put it, “night and day” different, attributing the trouble to patellar tendonitis.

“It’s OK, just some aches and pains,” Freeman commented about his knee. “I feel OK, much better than the last few days.”

He mentioned that this injury had been nagging him for a few weeks, which may have contributed to a slump where he managed just one hit in his last 18 at-bats.

There wasn’t a specific moment that triggered the issue—rather, it seems to be a result of the “wear and tear” from his lengthy career, now in his 17th season.

“I was having trouble moving [on defense]. I didn’t have a front side anymore [in my swing],” he detailed about how the injury impacted his performance. “It just got to the point where it wasn’t giving me the best opportunity to play like I want to.”

Consequently, the veteran first baseman had to miss the last two games and only played as a designated hitter—filling in for the also-injured Shohei Ohtani—prior to returning to action.

Freeman acknowledged that he has dealt with similar knee issues in the past. At present, he hasn’t sought any additional medical imaging, instead placing his trust in daily treatment and medication from the team’s medical personnel to help ease his discomfort as the regular season wraps up.

“It’s way better now already,” Freeman shared, suggesting that his absence from the game on Friday was more about avoiding overexertion after a long day of travel from Los Angeles.

With a hint of humor, he added, “Hopefully, it hurts more tomorrow,” smiling, “because that means I was on the bases a lot today.”