It was no secret that Freddie Freeman was playing hurt during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ run to the World Series. Now that the team has won the title, it has been revealed that he was also nursing a second major injury that was not public knowledge.
The day before the team’s first playoff game, Freeman collapsed in pain while taking batting practice and was unable to even get off the ground. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Freeman was diagnosed with a broken rib cartilage, an injury that typically sidelines players for months. This was on top of the sprained ankle that hobbled him toward the end of the regular season and throughout much of the postseason.
Freeman was in such pain that his father Fred urged him to sit out due to his injuries, even if it meant missing playoff games.
“I actually told him to stop,” Fred Freeman told Passan. “I said, ‘Freddie, this is not worth it. I know you love baseball. I love baseball. But it’s not worth what you’re going through.’ And he looked at me like I was crazy, and he said, ‘Dad, I’m never going to stop.'”
Freeman sat out Game 4 in the NLDS and sat out Games 4 and 6 in the NLCS as well. The Dodgers won all of those games, and the post-NLCS layoff allowed Freeman to get a bit healthier. The rest is history, as he went on a tear during the World Series to win MVP honors.
Freeman’s World Series was already remarkable. The fact that he was dealing with two severe injuries only makes it more legendary.
