Star first baseman Freddie Freeman came out of the Dodgers’ game against the Cardinals yesterday due to what was at the time termed a jammed finger, but despite initial x-rays coming back negative the situation has worsened overnight. The 34-year-old is out of the lineup today and, as noted by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, is not able to grip a bat due to swelling according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Freeman is still considered day-to-day for the moment but is scheduled to undergo a CT scan tomorrow.
The loss of Freeman would be a devastating blow for a Dodgers club that has had its trio of superstar hitters back on the roster together for just six games since Mookie Betts returned from the injured list to rejoin Freeman and Shohei Ohtani at the top of the lineup last week. Even with Betts having recently returned, however, the loss of Freeman’s .292/.391/.488 slash line is sure to be a major blow to the Dodgers’ offense for however long he’s out of action. With the Padres and Diamondbacks just two and three games back of L.A. for the NL West title respectively, a lengthy absence for Freeman could mean that the Dodgers are without one of their best hitters for a significant portion of a pennant race that could end up going down to the wire.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, reinforcements for the lineup appear to be just around the corner. DiGiovanna notes that the club is expected to activate infielder Tommy Edman from the injured list tomorrow, and could do the same with Muncy despite him previously not being expected to be added to the roster until later in the week. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya adds that, per Roberts, the club will activate Muncy either tomorrow or on Tuesday, and that the infielder is flying into L.A. to make sure he’s available tomorrow if needed.
Edman, 29, won’t help the club’s situation at first base very much, but the versatile switch-hitter should improve the lineup in other areas. He’s previously been expected to play center field for the club on a regular basis, but it’s possible that he could see additional time on the infield given the small-sample success Kevin Kiermaier has had with the club since being acquired from the Blue Jays on the day of the trade deadline. If Edman, Miguel Rojas, and Kiké Hernández can cover the left side of the infield while Gavin Lux handles second base, that would allow Muncy to act as the club’s regular first baseman upon his return until Freeman is ready to return to the lineup.
The 33-year-old Muncy has been out of action since mid-May due to an oblique issue but was off to a strong start when healthy enough to play with a .223/.323/.475 slash line across 40 games that’s good for a wRC+ of 117, matching his 2023 performance. Edman, meanwhile, has not played in the majors this year due to a lengthy rehab from offseason wrist surgery but was acquired by the Dodgers from the Cardinals in a three-way trade with the White Sox prior to the deadline last month and sports a lengthy track record as a roughly league average bat with excellent defense at multiple positions that will surely make him an asset to the Dodgers once healthy.