Freddie Freeman was back in the Braves lineup for Tuesday night’s series opener against the Washington Nationals, one day after the first baseman had his nagging right wrist examined again by the Braves hand specialist.
“We’re going to treat it as day-to-day,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, reiterating the approach they’ve taken with Freeman since the wrist began throbbing again during last week’s road trip. “The doc says there’s no (reason not to) — if he feels good, put him in there. And some days he’ll be better than others. One swing may trigger it where it hurts him and we’ve got to (replace him). But he wants to play, which is great.
“I’ll follow his lead. I talked to him yesterday, I talked to him today. I’ll follow his lead. If he can play, he will.”
Gonzalez tentatively plans to play Freeman in four of six games on the season-ending homestand. He would start him Tuesday and Wednesday against the Nationals, rest him Wednesday, play him Friday and Saturday against St. Louis, and have him available to pinch-hit in Sunday’s season finale against the Cardinals.
He emphasized that could change if the wrist starts to ache more, as it did Sunday when Freeman said the pain intensified to the point he resorted to a bunt attempt in the third inning before leaving the game. Gonzalez wasn’t immediately sure whether Freeman attempted a bunt to beat a defensive shift used by the Marlins.
“He asked if I bunted because it hurt, or if it was because I saw an opening (on the third-base side),” Freeman said afterward. “I said, Fredi, I don’t care if there’s nobody on the left side of the field, I’m not going to be bunting
“When I was on-deck in the at-bat before that, I didn’t even take a swing. Just (planned on) going into it bunting the whole time. Then I saw Martin (Prado in a shift) so I was like, maybe I’ll be able to jam-shot something (down the line). I don’t know how the ball went on the barrel of the bat right there.”
After going 5-for-6 with a double, two homers and seven RBIs in two games Wednesday at New York and Friday at Miami – the Braves were off Thursday – Freeman was 0-for-4 with two walks in the last two games of the Marlins series.
He had another appointment on the team’s day off Monday with Dr. Gary Lourie. Gonzalez said the Braves were reassured that Freeman wouldn’t risk worsening the injury by playing, and could play as long as it was tolerable. Freeman wanted to play the rest of the season.
“Then after the season ends he’s going to let it calm down, then reevaluate it,” Gonzalez said, “maybe take another (MRI).”
After playing all 162 games last season – he set a franchise record and led the majors in innings played — Freeman spent 6 ½ weeks on the disabled list in June and July with a sprain and bone bruise in the wrist, which multiple injections didn’t do much to heal. Just over a week after returning from another 15-day DL stint for an oblique strain, the wrist flared again.
He’s left a couple of games early, but the pain hasn’t diminished Freeman’s performance: He was 9-for-26 (.346) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs in the past nine games before Tuesday, with six walks and a .469 OBP in that span.
“I don’t believe Freddie’s wrist is hurt,” shortstop Andrelton Simmons joked. “He’s still hitting homers and doubles.”
