Freddie Freeman was in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Thursday, playing first base and batting cleanup against the Milwaukee Brewers, less than 24 hours after a distressing fall down a set of dugout stairs.
Freeman acknowledged experiencing general body soreness following the incident on Wednesday, with his knees, shoulder, hand, and wrist feeling the effects. He stated that he did not hit his head, which he considered the most critical aspect.
"I've already cold-tubbed. I've done everything I needed to do to put myself in a position to be able to hopefully play tomorrow," Freeman said Wednesday night, expressing optimism about his immediate return.
The 36-year-old first baseman fell into the visiting dugout, prompting concern from teammates and trainers. He remained down for several moments before getting to his feet to chants of "Fredd-ie! Fredd-ie" from the crowd. Although he finished the eighth inning on defense, he was removed from the game afterward. Postgame evaluations did not require an X-ray, and manager Dave Roberts described the situation as "really dodged a bullet."