Freeman (ankle) isn't certain to play in Game 1 of the NLDS, and manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he is "not as hopeful" about the first baseman's status as he was Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Freeman told reporters Friday that he intends to play in the first game of the Division Series, but Roberts' comments one day later suggest that such a scenario is far from certain. It's not clear if Freeman has suffered a setback or if he was being overly optimistic when he said he expected to play, and it's worth noting that the severity of his sprain --- which he suffered just over a week ago -- typically has a recovery period of 4-to-6 weeks. Freeman is on the Dodgers' NLDS roster, but if he's unable to play Saturday, Enrique Hernandez could get the start at first base.