NEW YORK – Freddie Freeman hasn't been the same hitter since injuring his right wrist this summer, and Wednesday the Braves first baseman was out of the lineup for a series finale against the Mets, a team he's thrived against for most of his career.
And out of the lineup against Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon, despite being 9-for-20 in his career against the aging right-hander. Nick Swisher made the start at first base Tuesday.
“It’s the wrist thing that he had, just give him today and tomorrow off and he should be ready to go (Friday),” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves are off Thursday before starting a three-game series against the Marlins on Friday in Miami. “He aggravates it maybe once in a while, and it was a little aggravated today. Nothing serious, and he’s available to play defense. We’ll definitely try to not (have him) swing.”
Freeman spent 6 ½ weeks on the disabled list in June and July and received multiple injections for a bone bruise in his right wrist. A little over a week after returning, he went back on the 15-day DL for a strained oblique muscle in his side.
In 66 games before the initial DL stint for the wrist injury, Freeman hit .299 with 20 doubles, 12 homers, 41 RBIs and a .367 OBP and .520 slugging percentage.
In 43 games since that DL stint, he’s hit .231 (34-for-147) with six doubles, four homers, 18 RBIs, a .363 OBP and .354 slugging percentage.
Part of the statistical decline could be attributed to having less protection in the lineup due to trades in the second half of the season. But Freeman was easily the most-feared hitter in the lineup all season. He wasn’t seeing abundance of hittable pitches in the first half, either. However, Freeman drove more of those hittable pitches with authority — and to all fields — during the first half than he injuring his wrist.
