Los Angeles Dodgers’ star first baseman Freddie Freeman has taken a leave of absence from the team to be with his family as his son, Maximus, is hospitalized in Southern California. Freeman was unexpectedly pulled from the lineup against the Houston Astros on Friday night so he could be by his son’s side. His wife, Chelsea, shared on her Instagram story that Maximus, who is just 3 years old, was admitted to the hospital earlier in the week.
After a game on Tuesday night, Freeman hurried out of the clubhouse, and both he and his wife spent the following night in the emergency room with Maximus. According to The Los Angeles Times, Chelsea revealed that Maximus has transient synovitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the hip joint and is commonly seen in young children. The specifics of his condition remain unknown.
“When your child is going through things it’s just hard to be present, and rightfully so,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed to The Times. “He certainly had a heavy heart the last few days, and I just pray that Max is going to recover well and have a full recovery.”
It is uncertain how long Freeman will be away from the team, but Roberts does not anticipate his return for the series in Houston.
“I was texting with him now … His son is still getting tests,” Roberts shared with the OC Register’s Dave Bill Plunkett. “So I obviously just don’t see him being here for this series. Once we get to the West Coast, we’ll see if that’s in play after the off day.”
Freeman, an eight-time All-Star, is currently in his third season with the Dodgers. This summer, he boasts a .288 batting average with 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 104 games.
In Freeman’s absence, the Dodgers suffered a 5-0 loss to the Astros in the opening game of their series. Astros’ pitcher Framber Valdez recorded 10 strikeouts over six innings, while Alex Bregman and Jon Singleton both contributed home runs in the shutout victory. Despite the defeat, the Dodgers maintain a 6.5-game lead in the NL West with a record of 62-43.