Freddie Freeman pledges several donations toward coronavirus relief

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman won’t step up to the plate for the foreseeable future, but he did step up in helping his community on Wednesday.

Freeman pledged to donate $50,000 to the Atlanta Food Bank, $50,000 to Giving Kitchen and $25,000 to the Salvation Army in an effort to help those affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Freeman is one of many athletes who've pledged donations recently. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, along with his wife, Sarah, pledged a $100,000 donation to Atlanta charities on Tuesday.

Freddie, we can't thank you enough for your generosity. Supporters like you keep us inspired in times like these.https://t.co/nE0qYLoPcC
— Salvation Army USA (@SalvationArmyUS) March 18, 2020

His courtesy comes a day after the Braves announced they were forming a special disaster relief fund to help gameday workers and others affected by the sport's stoppage. The Braves, along with the other 29 teams, also donated $1 million to help cover the lost wages of stadium employees.

MLB, like other sports leagues and the world at large, is in a holding pattern. The earliest baseball could resume is mid-May, though that still seems optimistic. Everyone's No. 1 concern right now is trying to contain the coronavirus.

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