The Los Angeles Dodgers’ return to the NLCS lit up Dodger Stadium, but all eyes were on one man: Freddie Freeman. Just 15 days after a severe ankle sprain, Freeman limped onto the field to thunderous chants of “Freddie! Freddie!” The injury would’ve sidelined most players for weeks, but Freeman? He was back within days, grinding through pain to help the Dodgers clinch a spot against the New York Mets. This season hasn’t just been physically grueling for him; it’s tested him emotionally, too, with personal challenges off the field. Yet, time after time, Freeman has shown up.
Game 1 was all Freeman. Despite the injury, he charged from second base to home in the first inning, wincing with every step, finally needing teammate Mookie Betts to help steady him at the plate. “I gave it all I’ve got,” he admitted postgame. And he wasn’t done—Freeman added two more hits, including a crucial RBI single in the fourth, propelling the Dodgers to an impressive 9-0 victory. Manager Dave Roberts, in awe, finally had to pull him from the game in the eighth, but by then, Freeman had already won the hearts of teammates and fans alike. “We have the utmost respect for him and the way he goes about it. He’s an absolute dog,” teammate Kevin Kiermaier praised.
Freeman’s resilience runs deep. Raised by a father who taught him to show up no matter the circumstances, Freeman lives by the motto: “My job is to play baseball.” That mindset has transformed him into the “Iron Man” of the MLB, playing 99% of games over the last five years. Teammate Gavin Lux perfectly summed it up: “He’s out there making plays, stealing bases—they just don’t make them like him anymore.”
