For the first time since he grounded out to end the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series, Freddie Freeman stepped into the batter’s box in the first inning Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Camelback Ranch. Freeman was met with cheers by the thousands of Dodgers fans in attendance.
After popping out to third in his first at-bat, Freeman laced a double to left center to drive in two runs in the third inning before he was lifted from the Dodgers' 11-3 victory. Freeman, who last season battled the lingering effects of a right ankle injury he suffered late in the 2024 season, said having a more typical offseason was crucial.
"It's been in a good spot since I started hitting this offseason," Freeman said of his swing. "Nice to be able to hit a ball to left center already, that's a good sign. ... I hadn't swung a bat till a day before fanfest last year. A normal offseason [this year] definitely helps."
While still an All-Star and a recipient of NL MVP votes, the 36-year-old Freeman has seen a slight decline in production over the last two seasons, compared to his first two with the Dodgers. Freeman posted on-base percentages of .407 and .410, while raking a league-leading 47 and 59 doubles, respectively, in 2022 and 2023. His OBP dropped to .378 in 2024, and .367 in 2025.
Five-run rally for the lead! pic.twitter.com/c02Qf0nBiE
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 24, 2026
But for Freeman, it is his contact numbers that have been a thorn in his side all offseason.
Freeman’s .295 batting average was the third-best in the National League, but it still was not good enough for him.
“There wasn’t a 3 at the start of my batting average last year, and that irks me,” Freeman said last week. “That’s my goal always, to hit .300. I like hits. I’m a hitter. Three at the front of a batting average means a lot to me. I know batting average and those kinds of things don’t mean a lot to a lot of people these days, but it does to me. If you hit .300, it means you’re on base a lot, and you’re scoring runs for your team, so that’s the goal, .300 again.”
Freeman landed on the injured list at the start of April after he aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle, causing him to miss nine games, and setting the tone for a season in which he never felt quite right.
Read more:'Pretty healthy' Kyle Tucker content to fit in among Dodgers' galaxy of stars
“I was taping my ankle till about August”, Freeman said. “It was never really in a good spot last year. There was a lot of treatment, and I think I played all right for that, and we won again, so I’m really looking forward this year.”
One area in which Freeman thinks he can improve upon from last year is his defense. A former Gold Glover, Freeman rated as a minus fielder in both defensive runs saved (minus-7) and outs above average (minus-6) metrics.
“I didn’t like the way I played defense last year and I thought it was just because I wasn’t mobile enough,” Freeman said. “So, that’s a big, big goal of mine, to play better at first this year, get to more balls, be able to cover more things. So, that’s going to be a key for me.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is optimistic about the season he believes his veteran first baseman will have in 2026.
“I think he takes such good care of himself,” Roberts said. “I think that age is an easy one to point to, but I really believe that he’s been dinged up for two years. Right now, today, it’s as good as I’ve seen his swing over the course of a week sample, than I have in two years. So, he’s in a good spot physically, mechanically. So, if we can keep him healthy, I just don’t see why he can’t have the year that he expects, and with that, with everything that he went through the last couple years, he was still very productive.”
Freeman said last week he hopes to play four more years, through his age-40 season, which would be his 20th as a big leaguer.
Read more:Stephen Nelson is now part of Dodgers fans' memories. Here's how he keeps it in perspective
“In that fourth year, I turn 40,” Freeman said. “Four is just a number that’s floated. Is it less? Is it more? I don’t know, but that’s kind of just where I’m at. I feel good right now, so that was just floated because that would be an even 20 years, I’ll be 40. I got a family that I would like to go home to. I do love this game; I love playing it, but for me, if I can do four, that would be 20 years. I think that’s enough.”
Etc.
After major shoulder surgery in 2024 that forced him to miss all of last season, right-hander Gavin Stone made his return to the mound a smooth one, pitching a scoreless first inning and striking out two.
"It was awesome," said Stone, who last pitched for the Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2024. "Definitely a lot of hard work over the previous year. Rehab was a grind, but it's good to be back out there."
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.