Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman jokes about painful injury scare vs. Cubs

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman avoided a serious injury scare after being hit on the right hand during Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 10-time All-Star left the game as a precaution, but X-rays showed no fracture, and he expects to return to the lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The injury occurred in the fifth inning when Freeman swung at the first pitch from Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, a 91-mph fastball that got away from him. The ball struck the outside of Freeman’s right hand and trapped it against the bat, causing him to briefly react in pain.

“That’s what I get for swinging at a ball at my face,” Freeman said after the game.

Freddie Freeman said he expects to be in the lineup on Friday.

His hand got jammed between the ball and the bat on this pitch he fouled off.

"That's what I get for swinging at a ball at my face," he said. https://t.co/RkIhNb2290 pic.twitter.com/FJeMkqhEjE

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 5, 2026

The 36-year-old stayed in the game long enough to complete the at-bat, eventually flying out to left-center field two pitches later. However, manager Dave Roberts removed him from the game defensively in the following inning, replacing him with Kike Hernandez.

Freeman avoiding an extended absence is a positive development for the Dodgers, who can ill afford another setback during a difficult stretch. Los Angeles has now lost six straight games, its worst skid since the 2020 the season, while being swept in back-to-back series.

Nonetheless, Freeman has continued performing at a high level. Through 112 games this season, the 36-year-old owns a .310 batting average, the third-best in the National League, along with a .385 on-base percentage and an .870 OPS. He has also performed well recently, finishing July with a 3-for-4 game with an RBI and recording a .412/.444/.412 slash line through the first five games of August.

The Dodgers also entered Wednesday’s game managing changes behind the plate after Dalton Rushing suffered a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Rushing was shut down from throwing for four to six weeks, leading the team to activate catchers Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia before the trade deadline.

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