Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman slips in shower, hurts ankle in ‘freak accident’

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup for the second straight game against the Atlanta Braves after slipping in the shower and hurting his surgically repaired right ankle.

“Freak accident, you can’t really make it up, crazy,” Freeman said Tuesday.

The incident happened at home Sunday morning, an off day for the World Series champions.

“Halfway through my morning coffee I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll just shower to get ready for the day’ and next thing I know I’m down in the bathtub,’ he said. “It’s a great mental picture if you guys want to think about it. Big guy falling all over the place.”

Freeman’s wife, Chelsea, relayed the news to the first baseman’s father.

“He was like, ‘Are you serious?’” Freeman said. “Chelsea actually made the joke, ‘I thought I was going to deal with this when you’re 70, not when you’re 35.’”

Even his 4-year-old son, Brandon, piled on, saying, “Daddy, you got another boo-boo.”

The 2024 World Series MVP came to the ballpark on the off day Sunday for treatment. An X-ray showed no serious damage.

Freeman felt fortunate, given that the combination shower-tub has a glass door.

“It could have been much worse,” he said. “I could have hit my head.”

Before the accident, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Freeman’s ankle “wasn’t 100% but still, obviously the way he swung the bat, in a good spot.”

Freeman is 3-for-12 with two home runs and four RBIs to start the season. He was scratched from the Dodgers’ season-opening game in Tokyo because of left rib discomfort.

Freeman sprained his right ankle on a play at first base in late September and struggled in the first two rounds of the postseason, but it was hardly evident during the World Series. He homered in the first four games and had 12 RBIs as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.

Freeman had debridement surgery in December to remove loose bodies in the ankle.

He is hopeful he can return for Wednesday’s series finale against the Braves, his old team.

Freeman is hitting .299 with a .939 OPS in 20 games against the team he spent the first 12 years of his career with. He has four homers, 12 RBIs, four doubles, a triple and 13 walks in those games.

Back at home, a plumber arrived Tuesday to repair a leaking handle in that shower.

“I’m not going to use that one again,” Freeman said. “I’m 0-for-1 on that shower.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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