Dodgers' Freddie Freeman Expects to Play Amid Injury in World Series G1 vs. Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers veteran slugger Freddie Freeman isn't letting his ankle injury hold him out of Friday's Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees.

"I think with this time off, it's going to be 100 percent go for me on Game 1... I don't think there's any question in anybody's minds that I will be in the lineup for Game 1," Freeman told Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports on Tuesday.

Freeman sat out Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets due to lingering effects of a sprained right ankle that he has dealt with since the start of this month. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that Freeman "just doesn't feel like himself" following batting practice.

Freeman's absence caused some defensive shuffling for Los Angeles, as Max Muncy was moved to first base and Enrique Hernandez to third, with Andy Pages getting the start in center field.

Freeman appeared in eight postseason games for the Dodgers and hit .219 with no home runs and one RBI. The 35-year-old experienced a dip in production during the regular season, hitting .282 with 22 home runs and 89 RBI in 147 games. It was his first time hitting under .300 since the 2019 season when he was still with the Atlanta Braves.

Still, the Dodgers have maintained their dominance thanks to a deep lineup that includes the presumptive NL MVP Shohei Ohtani as well as Mookie Betts and NLCS MVP Tommy Edman.

The World Series matchup features the two teams with the best records in their respective leagues this season, so Freeman's return adds even more star power to the Dodgers' showdown with the Yankees.