Freddie Freeman’s last season has cemented his status as baseball’s elite. He played through both emotional and physical turmoil and led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a championship. His iconic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series would go down in baseball history books. People are still talking about it. Freeman recently revealed that fans have come up to him with tattoos of him holding a bat. And that shows the level of fandom.

Freddie Freeman’s resilience is something everyone was in awe of. However, the toll of his injury has lingered on. He had sprained his ankle on September 25 and missed the final three games of the regular season. However, he still played like a boss. He only just got his surgery in December to repair his right ankle. It included debridement and removal of loose bodies. And now, eight weeks after the surgery, he is making progress. As such, questions about him playing in Tokyo seem questionable. Freeman himself talked about the surgery, which seems gory, and whether he will be playing in Tokyo or not.

Freddie Freeman reveals if he can play in the season opener

Freeman only just had surgery. If you are wondering why he didn’t have it earlier, you are not alone. However, Freddie Freeman recently clarified why he had waited so long to get the surgery. And no, it’s not because he was afraid! Well, recently at the Dodgers Fest, he clarified that he waited so long because he felt pretty good after the World Series. He thought maybe just more rest would get him feeling great. But weeks later, his ankle swelling didn’t go away. So that’s when he reached out to the head trainer. And an MRI revealed everything!

Freeman said, “On December 1st, I had my MRI. Within about 10 minutes of that MRI ending, the doctor said, ‘You need surgery.’ I was like, ‘Really? Okay.'” The surgery involved cleaning up some cartilage and removing spurs. Thankfully, the ligaments had healed enough, and he didn’t need repairs there. Now eight weeks after the surgery, Freeman is back to hitting again he said, and he is feeling great. But—he isn’t cleared to run yet.

However, Freddie Freeman did mention that he expects to start running drills as soon as spring training starts. “I haven’t started running yet—I haven’t been cleared for that—but as of next Monday, I’ll start doing flips. By the end of next week, I should be able to do some side-to-side movement,” said Freeman. However, there is good news, and that’s Freeman is confident that he is on track to be playing in Tokyo at the season opener.

“As of now, I’m on track to play in Tokyo,” he shared. So, while it might have scared fans not to see their WS MVP on the mound, that possibly won’t happen. Freddie Freeman sure does surprise everyone each time by always showing up. Even when most people least expect it!

Freddie Freeman’s contract is a steal for the LA Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers may be called the evil empire of baseball today. But one thing is for sure: they sure do know how to make the best deals. Look at Shohei Ohtani’s deal they did—the franchise earned the entire $700 million back in just a year. Not to mention, they landed key players like Sasaki and more simply because of Ohtani’s power. But while everyone talks about the Japanese star’s deal, you would have to talk about how Freeman’s $162 million contract is also one of the best deals for the franchise. Recently, MLB Network’s Brian Kenny shared his thoughts about it.

Kenny, when discussing The Shredder’s rankings, could not help but rave about Freddie Freeman’s value. “Some guys age better than others; he’s aged beautifully. That contract as well for the Dodgers was fantastic. And also he’s a batting average guy, he’s an on-base guy, and he’s a power guy. Whatever you need, he does.” He called it one of the best in history, ranking it among the top ten free-agent deals ever. “It was such a bargain. You’re still getting paid quite well, but it was such a bargain, such a great deal for the Dodgers as well,” said Kenny.

And looking back at Freddie Freeman’s career, which began with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, it’s clear that the team got a deal. And even though his numbers dipped a bit during the regular season and he played through an injury, his performance was stunning. Now there are still three years left on his contract. He is one of the most important players on the Dodger lineup.

Don’t you think so too? What are your thoughts and views on Freddie Freeman? Let us know your thoughts.