The Los Angeles Dodgers held their breath Sunday afternoon after Freddie Freeman exited early against the Milwaukee Brewers. The nine-time All-Star was struck on the left wrist by an 88 mph sinker from southpaw Jose Quintana, a moment that carried deeper significance than it first appeared.
Freeman didn’t show visible signs of pain—no theatrics, no immediate call for medical attention. Instead, he walked calmly to the dugout and disappeared into the clubhouse. That composed response belied the concern brewing in the Dodgers’ dugout, where manager Dave Roberts and teammates feared the worst.
“He just said, ‘Hit my wrist, and I’m gonna go get it checked,’” Roberts recounted after the game.
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The team later announced Freeman had suffered a left wrist contusion. X-rays came back negative, and Roberts labeled him “day to day.” But the anxiety didn’t dissipate easily. Freeman, after all, has history with that same wrist. Back in 2017, while still with Atlanta, he missed 10 weeks after a hit-by-pitch resulted in a fracture.
“To lose him would have been really tough to overcome,” Roberts admitted. “But we dodged a bullet there.”
A Mounting List of Bumps and Bruises
The wrist contusion is only the latest in a string of injuries Freeman has endured. Since July of last year, he’s played through a hairline fracture in his middle finger, a sprained ankle just before the 2024 postseason, and broken rib cartilage that nagged him throughout the team’s World Series run. Most recently, Freeman missed the season-opening Tokyo Series due to rib scar tissue and later tweaked his surgically repaired ankle in March, costing him 10 games.
Despite these setbacks, Freeman has remained remarkably productive. Entering Sunday, he was slashing .294/.365/.474 with an NL-leading 26 doubles. Still, his bat had cooled significantly since June 1, hitting just .201 during that stretch.
Rushing Into Opportunity
If Freeman is sidelined for even a few games, the Dodgers will turn to an unexpected source: 23-year-old Dalton Rushing.
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the plan after the game: “If Freddie Freeman can’t go tomorrow, Dalton Rushing will be at first base.”
Rushing, primarily known as a catching prospect, has impressed within the organization for his bat and work ethic. Though he lacks first base experience at the major league level, his readiness to adapt—paired with the club’s trust—speaks volumes. It also reflects the Dodgers’ confidence in their developmental pipeline.
A former second-round pick out of Louisville, Rushing has steadily climbed prospect rankings thanks to his mature approach at the plate. His left-handed bat offers a natural replacement for Freeman in terms of lineup balance, and while expectations must be tempered, this could be his moment to make an early statement on the big stage.
Balancing Urgency with Caution
The Dodgers are already juggling significant lineup changes, including a semi-permanent reshuffling that moved Shohei Ohtani out of the leadoff spot in favor of Mookie Betts. In the midst of those offensive adjustments, the last thing they needed was uncertainty at first base.
But with Freeman’s outlook trending positive, and with a highly regarded prospect like Rushing ready to step in if necessary, Los Angeles appears positioned to weather the turbulence—at least in the short term.
And should Rushing find his footing, the Dodgers might just discover more than a stopgap. They might get a glimpse of the future.
With a pitching staff that ranks just 23rd in ERA (4.29) and continues to battle injuries, Los Angeles has had to lean heavily on its bats to stay afloat.
And to their credit, the lineup has largely delivered — tied for second in batting average, third in expected batting average, and second in both hits and home runs. Their .471 expected slugging percentage ranks second in the league, a testament to the depth and firepower of the group.
But for an offense so integral to the team’s success, any long absence of any offensive weapon puts that balance at risk. Simply put: the Dodgers need every hitter to be himself again if they plan to maintain their lead atop the NL West and make another deep postseason run.