The Los Angeles Dodgers made a surprising decision for their final open roster spot.
The Dodgers kept infielder Alex Freeland to their star-laden roster, and the second-year pro opened up about his dream coming true after finding out he had made the team Sunday.
Freeland, 24, slashed .190/.292/.310 in 97 plate appearances over 29 major-league games with the Dodgers in 2026. He put his potential roster spot in jeopardy by batting .111 with a .522 OPS and only one home run in 19 spring-training games for the Dodgers.
Still, Freeland will join Los Angeles when it hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
Alex Freeland: Making the Dodgers ‘Means Everything’
Freeland may end up in the Dodgers starting lineup Thursday, since he is likely to play second base with incumbent Tommy Edman still recovering from ankle surgery.
So finding out he had made the team, and would be in Los Angeles to receive his World Series ring and potentially start opening day at Dodger Stadium, turned Freeland into a little kid again.
âIt means everything,” Freeland said according to the LA Daily News. “I think Iâve dreamed of this since I was a little kid, being on an Opening Day roster, playing major league baseball.
âIâve been dreaming of this since I was 4 years old.â
Alex Freeland Beat Out Hyeseong Kim for the Dodgers Second Base Position
That it was the switch-hitting second and third baseman, and not Hyeseong Kim, making the team was surprising to many, especially with how each performed in Arizona.
Kim, a lefty hitter, complemented Miguel Rojas while the duo platooned at second base a year ago. Plus, Kim had a .967 OPS and five stolen bases in nine games with the Dodgers and had a homer and three stolen bases while representing Korea at the World Baseball Classic.
Yet, Freeland felt he did enough to make the Dodgers.
âYou could definitely look at the stats and say, âyeah, he had a terrible spring training,â but in my eyes Iâm working on certain things and I achieved certain goals,â Freeland said. âI feel comfortable with how spring training went. Obviously, it wasnât to my standards, but thereâs good in there. Itâs not just looking at a batting average.â
The Dodgers, who of course have won consecutive World Series, are more focused on having a team capable of winning the title than one that wins games in Arizona in March. With that in mind, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts felt Freeland was good enough to warrant a roster spot.
âI think the at-bat quality has been fine. He just hasnât finished off the at-bats,â Roberts said to the Daily News. âIâve always said I donât evaluate completely through spring training. Alex played a lot, didnât have a great spring, but played great defensively.”
Roberts and the Dodgers front office worked in concert to finalize the opening-day roster. The decision makers concurred with Roberts’ assessment of Freeland and felt, after his 16-homer, 18-steal, .834-OPS season with Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025.
“Talking to the front office, we felt that with what heâs done before in the past at Triple-A, give him this opportunity and see where it leads,” Roberts said.
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