Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched from Tuesday’s exhibition against the Twins because of inflammation in his right elbow. The team described the move as precautionary.
“He’s got a little irritation in his elbow,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s one of those things where his workload has felt different than it has all winter. He felt good, but as you’re throwing balls and doing all that stuff — the doctor said it’s not an uncommon thing. We’re trying to nip it in the bud. We’re glad it’s now rather than later.”
Snitker expects to give Freeman the next few days off. Freeman has made two starts in the Braves’ three exhibition games this spring.
Freeman underwent offseason elbow surgery after bone spurs and loose fragments derailed the end of his 2019 season, which was one of the best of his career.
The on-again, off-again pain was something Freeman had long dealt with, but it heightened down the stretch last season, when he left a game early Sept. 13 because of elbow soreness.
Freeman played through the pain, as he has throughout his career, but struggled mightily in the postseason. He went 4-for-20 in the National League Division Series, in which the Braves were eliminated by the Cardinals. The doctor told Freeman had the Braves advanced, his cracked bone spur would’ve soon broken and ended his season. Freeman had surgery in October.
“Four and a half months ago he had surgery,” Snitker said. “It’s just one of those things where he’s doing more now on a consistent basis than he did prior. I don’t know that it’s anything to be alarmed about. Glad it happened in February rather than the end of March.”
Last month, Freeman said this past offseason was his first without pain in nine years. When he arrived at camp just over a week ago, he was all smiles, reporting a clean bill of health.
"I feel great," he said. "One-hundred percent. Ready to roll. Doc said I'm good for 500,000 more miles. I'm good for the long haul."
Yonder Alonso replaced Freeman at first and was listed as third in the order against the Twins. Outfielder Marcell Ozuna, the team’s biggest free-agent acquisition, made his spring debut and was fourth in the order.
