Amidst all of the fanfare surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers winning 4-1 in the opening game of the 2025 Major League Baseball season Tuesday at the Tokyo Dome, the biggest news might have been about who did not play.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was a late scratch for the game, getting removed from the lineup less than an hour before the first pitch against the Chicago Cubs due to discomfort in his left rib that he felt during pregame batting practice. Kike Hernandez, who was originally slated to play in left field, replaced Freeman at first base, with Michael Conforto starting in left, and Teoscar Hernandez was moved from the cleanup spot into the 3 hole.
“Last round of BP, I just kind of felt something,” Freeman told reporters after the game.
“I don’t know what happened, I don’t have answers. Felt something, and came out. So we’ll try again tomorrow.”
Freddie Freeman Says He Felt Discomfort After Pregame Batting Practice
It was not the first time that Freeman “kind of felt something” that wasn’t right in that part of his body. After the Dodgers won the World Series title last fall, the team revealed that Freeman had played the entire postseason with broken cartilage in his ribcage.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Freeman felt pain in his side during a simulated game on Oct. 3 before Los Angeles began the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres. The next day, while taking swings on his own in the batting cage at Dodger Stadium, Freeman felt a sharp pain through his body that dropped him to the ground. Results from X-rays and MRI that night indicated Freeman had broken the costal cartilage in his sixth rib, which often forces players to miss a couple months.
On Tuesday, Freeman said during his final swings of pregame BP, he again felt something in the “same exact spot.”
“It’s not as bad (as last year), absolutely not,” Freeman stressed.
“Not as severe,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts concurred. “I thought we made the right decision not playing him tonight, and we’ll see how he comes in tomorrow. So right now, I’m not too concerned.”
The initial announcement certainly had Dodgers fans feeling the pain. Reaction to the updated lineup spurred all kinds of apocalyptic responses, with one stating, “Don’t do this to me at this hour 🤮,” while another said, “FIRST MOOKIE AND NOW FREDDIE??? WERE SO COOKED.”
Freddie Freeman Has ‘High Hopes’ of Playing in Second Game
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was a late scratch from the season opener due to discomfort in his left ribcage.
Freeman said despite the discomfort, he was hopeful of still being able to play. However, he “got outruled” by team officials.
“It was probably smart,” Freeman said.
“Just felt a little something in my rib, and with it being the first game, we didn’t want to have it be something lingering. So hopefully treat it today, then come in tomorrow, see how it is, and if not, then I probably won’t push it, if it’s affecting anything tomorrow.”
Freeman said the training staff suggested the discomfort could have been caused by scar tissue from the initial injury, adding that he had increased the volume of swings in recent days as he geared up for the start of the season. There were no immediate plans to get an MRI, although Freeman noted that if he is unable to play in the second game on Wednesday, there will likely be testing done after the Dodgers return.
“They told me I got a 75 percent chance of playing tomorrow, so we’ll see,” he said.
“I’m going to go in with high hopes tomorrow.”
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