When a team goes nine games without the anchor of their lineup, what do you think they do? Well, they simply countdown to the next game just to see him back in action. And yes, when he finally returns, most eyes will follow his every move. And now that the key piece of Los Angeles’ Dodgers found his way back to the lineup from the injured list, he is making some aggressive moves.

35-year-old Freddie Freeman finally returned to the lineup after missing nine games due to a right ankle sprain. During the Dodgers’ 6-2 win against the Colorado Rockies, Freeman was found to have reached the base four times. Eventually, he was thrown out while attempting to steal the second base in the fourth inning.

When it came to the notice of manager Dave Roberts, he was clear about one thing: “I didn’t like that.” Roberts continued, “He’s competitive and thought he had a chance to steal a base, giving us a four-run lead. But I just think right now we’ve got to make sure we manage his workload and health.” You see, Roberts’ concerns are rational. The Dodgers can’t risk Freeman re-injuring himself. Let’s not forget the Dodgers already had a three-run lead that time. As a result, Roberts ideally preferred Freeman to stay cautious.

Roberts added, “I don’t think we’ll be seeing him steal many bases in the near future.” He strongly emphasized the Dodgers’ top priority at the moment is to keep him as healthy as possible.

Let’s hear it from the man himself. Freeman has been confident about his recovery. At this point, he’s feeling as free as he possibly can, even better than the past couple of weeks. He added, “I feel like I could steal a base. That’s really how I feel. If there’s time on my side, I’ll be able to go now.” Although, around that very same time, Roberts believed Freeman did not have a green light to steal bases. If anything, “It’s as red as can be, fire engine red,” Roberts said.

Freeman gave a follow-up on his injury and mentioned, “I had an MRI and it just showed fraying of my scar tissue, so it was almost like a freeing thing. By Sunday, I felt like I could go, so I started doing live BPs on Monday and Wednesday and did Trajekt [Thursday].” He admitted that his time off the field was something he really required in order to feel better right now.

Well, for the World Series Champions, the urge to stay one step ahead may be strong, but they simply can’t afford to have their stars on the injured list yet again.

Dodgers’ World Series repeat aspirations rely heavily on health and bullpen boost

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ championship aspirations are surely high, but haven’t they looked delicate after their recent performances? Yes, sure, their eight-game win streak was remarkable earlier this season, but let’s not forget it requires more than just talent to repeat as champions.

You see, health tops all the lists of crucial factors for World Series win repeats. This regular season, they have seen their fair share of injury setbacks. No wonder Dave Roberts has been too cautious with the Dodgers key players. The Dodgers had a quite dominant start to the season and they can plausibly glide through the postseason.

And so, they have no room for errors anymore. To be able to stay a top contender for another title, the next crucial factor would be strengthening their bullpen. With many key pitchers on the injured list, the Dodgers shouldn’t solely rely on them for internal improvements. They must make a calculated move to secure this area before the postseason.

The way Roberts was cautiously managing Freeman’s workload reflected that he just cannot risk injuring any more star players for this and the upcoming stretch of the season. The Dodgers’ hopes for the World Series have so much to do with the performance of core players like Freeman.

Well, the Dodgers do have what it takes to stay one step ahead in the season. The two areas they should acknowledge the most are strengthening their bullpen and ensuring the health of their players. If that happens, they can go ahead with their pursuit of another championship.