Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is grinding through a structured hitting routine to shed poor habits and reclaim his elite offensive mechanics.
The Los Angeles Dodgers managed Freddie Freeman carefully down the stretch because a right knee injury affected his offense and defense.
Freeman missed multiple games, but Los Angeles declined to place him on the Injured List. The rest improved his knee, although his results did not improve.
The Dodgers are resting since the end of the regular season on Sunday and Saturday’s National League Division Series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies or Atlanta Braves, providing Freeman with valuable recovery and preparation time.
Ready for the road ahead
According to Dodger Blue, Freeman said before Tuesday’s workout that his body felt good. He downplayed any lingering knee concerns and shifted his attention toward correcting a swing that has troubled him for the past couple of months.
Freeman had not started hitting Tuesday because the Dodgers held meetings first. He planned to begin afterward, take hitting practice every day and follow a structured routine designed to prepare him for Saturday.
“My body feels good. I think that’s the main thing,” Freeman noted.
“I feel like it’s in a good spot to be able to do the work and hopefully fix my swing and everything that’s been going on the last couple of months.
“So I have yet to hit today because we just had some meetings, and we’ll get going here after I get done with this. I’ll be hitting BP every day I got a plan going in, and hopefully that will take care of itself throughout the course of the week, where I’ll be in a good spot by Saturday,” Freeman continued.
The first baseman hit .288 with 16 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .792 OPS in 153 games this season. He struggled in September, hitting .184 with one home run and seven RBIs in 20 games.
No excuses for Freeman, Dodgers
Freeman refused to use his physical condition as an excuse. He acknowledged that knee problems occasionally prevented him from properly moving onto his front side during three-or-four-day stretches.
Those limitations may have subconsciously caused compensations and created poor habits, but Freeman accepted responsibility for his performance.
He believes the break is especially important because his knee feels strong enough to handle the work required to repair his mechanics.
“I’ll never blame anything physical-wise for why I didn’t play well,” Freeman said.
“I just didn’t play well the last couple months of the season. That’s what I’m going to go with. Did I have some ailments with my knees? Yes, I did. I don’t know how much that contributed to subconsciously trying to do stuff where it didn’t hurt as much.”
Freeman also views the layoff as more beneficial mentally than physically. The Dodgers practiced Tuesday, scheduled simulated games for the following two days and planned another practice afterward.
Instead of testing an adjustment during hitting practice and immediately carrying it into a game two hours later, Freeman can repeat the change over several days before facing teammates in live situations.
He planned to concentrate on specific details Tuesday, repeat that work Wednesday and take at least 400 swings before Wednesday’s live hitting practice. The goal is to eliminate habits developed during his difficult stretch.
“I think the rest kind of takes care of itself,” Freeman noted.
“I think that’s more of the mental rest. Physically, we’ll go out there and practice today, and then we’ll play in some sim games the next two days and practice again.
“Baseball, you’ve got to play every day. I think it’s more of the mental rest than not trying to figure out how to do something each and every day,” Freeman added.
The left-handed hitter has already incorporated elements from his approach against the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series and explored unconventional methods that previously helped him adjust.
Freeman recalled dealing with physical issues approximately 100 times worse during that postseason.
“A couple of Octobers ago was probably 100 times worse,” Freeman emphasized.
“Ailment-wise, I truly feel good right now. Physically, it’s on me now to figure out the mechanics of the swing in the next five days. And I have all the confidence in myself that I will figure that out by Saturday.”
Freeman’s accountability
Freeman acknowledges the injury’s possible influence without allowing it to become an excuse.
His preparation reflects discipline and confidence. Freeman does not expect his swing to improve without concentrated work, repetition and honest evaluation.
He also understands how to use experience constructively. Rather than simply attempting to recreate past success, Freeman is identifying which previous adjustments could solve his current mechanical problems and help the Dodgers win another World Series.
That combination of resilience, responsibility and attention to detail has helped him respond to difficult stretches throughout his career. Freeman believes his body will cooperate and trusts himself to correct his swing before Saturday.
