NEW YORK -- The NLCS is heading back to Los Angeles and it's possible Freddie Freeman will not be in the Dodgers' lineup in Game 6 on Sunday night. Following their Game 5 loss to the Mets (NYM 12, LAD 6), Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Freeman's swing does not look right, and he could sit out Game 6 as he nurses a right ankle sprain.
"I'm going to have a conversation with him [Saturday]," Roberts said. "But I do think that his swing is not right. I'm certain it's the ankle. We'll have that conversation, but it's certainly an option to not have him in there for Game 6, yes."
Freeman rolled his ankle running through first base on Sept. 26 and said he trainers told him it's a 4-6 week injury. He came back in a little more than a week, and he has been well south of his usual production. Friday's 0 for 5 in Game 5 dropped Freeman's postseason batting line to .219/.242/.219. His hard-hit rate in the NLCS is 36.4%, well below his 41.8% regular-season rate.
Also, Freeman can not run on the ankle and is hobbled at first base. He can not DH because that is Shohei Ohtani's spot. For all intents and purposes, this ankle injury has turned Freeman into a singles hitter with zero speed and unreliable defense. He's still Freddie Freeman, but he's not really Freddie Freeman, you know?
Freeman did not play in Game 1 of the NLDS or Game 4 of the NLCS, and the Dodgers won both games. Max Muncy slid over to first base with Enrique Hernández at third, and Andy Pages in center. If Freeman sits Game 6, that would presumably be the alignment against lefty Sean Manaea.
Game 6 will be played Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. A Dodgers wins sends them to the World Series and gives L.A. its first pennant since 2020. A Mets win gives us a Game 7 on Monday.
