After 'a Normal Offseason,' Freddie Freeman Drives In Two In Cactus League Debut

PHOENIX — For nan first clip since he grounded retired to extremity nan 11th inning successful Game 7 of nan World Series, Freddie Freeman stepped into nan batter’s container successful nan first inning Tuesday against nan Cleveland Guardians astatine Camelback Ranch. Freeman was met pinch cheers by nan thousands of Dodgers fans successful attendance.

After popping retired to 3rd successful his first at-bat, Freeman laced a double to near halfway to thrust successful 2 runs successful nan 3rd inning earlier he was lifted from nan Dodgers’ 11-3 victory. Freeman, who past play battled nan lingering effects of a correct ankle wounded he suffered precocious successful nan 2024 season, said having a much emblematic offseason was crucial.

“It’s been successful a bully spot since I started hitting this offseason,” Freeman said of his swing. “Nice to beryllium capable to deed a shot to near halfway already, that’s a bully sign. ... I hadn’t swung a bat till a time earlier fanfest past year. A normal offseason [this year] decidedly helps.”

While still an All-Star and a recipient of NL MVP votes, nan 36-year-old Freeman has seen a flimsy diminution successful accumulation complete nan past 2 seasons, compared to his first 2 pinch nan Dodgers. Freeman posted on-base percentages of .407 and .410, while raking a league-leading 47 and 59 doubles, respectively, successful 2022 and 2023. His OBP dropped to .378 successful 2024, and .367 successful 2025.

But for Freeman, it is his interaction numbers that person been a thorn successful his broadside each offseason.

Freeman’s .295 batting mean was nan third-best successful nan National League, but it still was not bully capable for him.

“There wasn’t a 3 astatine nan commencement of my batting mean past year, and that irks me,” Freeman said past week. “That’s my extremity always, to deed .300. I for illustration hits. I’m a hitter. Three astatine nan beforehand of a batting mean intends a batch to me. I cognize batting mean and those kinds of things don’t mean a batch to a batch of group these days, but it does to me. If you deed .300, it intends you’re connected guidelines a lot, and you’re scoring runs for your team, truthful that’s nan goal, .300 again.”

Freeman landed connected nan injured database astatine nan commencement of April aft he aggravated his surgically repaired correct ankle, causing him to miss 9 games, and mounting nan reside for a play successful which he ne'er felt rather right.

“I was taping my ankle till astir August”, Freeman said. “It was ne'er really successful a bully spot past year. There was a batch of treatment, and I deliberation I played each correct for that, and we won again, truthful I’m really looking guardant this year.”

One area successful which Freeman thinks he tin amended upon from past twelvemonth is his defense. A erstwhile Gold Glover, Freeman rated arsenic a minus fielder successful some protect runs saved (minus-7) and outs supra mean (minus-6) metrics.

“I didn’t for illustration nan measurement I played defense past twelvemonth and I thought it was conscionable because I wasn’t mobile enough,” Freeman said. “So, that’s a big, large extremity of mine, to play amended astatine first this year, get to much balls, beryllium capable to screen much things. So, that’s going to beryllium a cardinal for me.”

Dodgers head Dave Roberts is optimistic astir nan play he believes his seasoned first baseman will person successful 2026.

“I deliberation he takes specified bully attraction of himself,” Roberts said. “I deliberation that property is an easy 1 to constituent to, but I really judge that he’s been dinged up for 2 years. Right now, today, it’s arsenic bully arsenic I’ve seen his plaything complete nan people of a week sample, than I person successful 2 years. So, he’s successful a bully spot physically, mechanically. So, if we tin support him healthy, I conscionable don’t spot why he can’t person nan twelvemonth that he expects, and pinch that, pinch everything that he went done nan past mates years, he was still very productive.”

Freeman said past week he hopes to play 4 much years, done his age-40 season, which would beryllium his 20th arsenic a large leaguer.

“In that 4th year, I move 40,” Freeman said. “Four is conscionable a number that’s floated. Is it less? Is it more? I don’t know, but that’s benignant of conscionable wherever I’m at. I consciousness bully correct now, truthful that was conscionable floated because that would beryllium an moreover 20 years, I’ll beryllium 40. I sewage a family that I would for illustration to spell location to. I do emotion this game; I emotion playing it, but for me, if I tin do four, that would beryllium 20 years. I deliberation that’s enough.”

Etc.

After awesome enarthrosis room successful 2024 that forced him to miss each of past season, right-hander Gavin Stone made his return to nan mound a soft one, pitching a scoreless first inning and striking retired two.

“It was awesome,” said Stone, who past sounded for nan Dodgers connected Aug. 31, 2024. “Definitely a batch of difficult activity complete nan erstwhile year. Rehab was a grind, but it’s bully to beryllium backmost retired there.”