Los Angeles Dodgers player Freddie Freeman shared on Thursday that his 3-year-old son has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Freeman, who has taken time away from the team and been put on the family emergency list, made the announcement on Instagram along with his wife, Chelsea. Their son, Maximus, has been in and out of the hospital recently.
“This has been the toughest and most frightening time of our lives,” the couple wrote on Instagram. “Maximus is such a special boy and he is fighting so hard. It will be a journey to recovery, but we believe he will fully heal.”
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can lead to weakness, numbness, or paralysis, which is what happened to Max last week. While there is no cure for the disease, most people do recover completely.
Freeman was pulled from the Dodgers’ lineup last Friday before their game against the Astros in Houston. He flew back to Southern California to be with his family, and the team placed him on the family emergency list shortly after. He has not played since then.
Maximus has been in and out of the hospital recently, with Chelsea mentioning that he had a viral infection last month around the All-Star Game. Freeman was seen leaving the Dodgers’ clubhouse quickly after a game last week when Maximus was rushed to the hospital.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed his support for Freeman, saying, “When your child is going through things it’s just hard to be present, and rightfully so. 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.”
The timeline for Freeman’s return to the team is uncertain. Despite the challenging circumstances, Freeman has been having a successful season with the Dodgers, batting .288 with 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 104 games. The team currently leads the NL West standings with a 63-46 record and will face the Oakland A’s in a three-game series starting on Friday.