The last 10 days were not easy for Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Talking about his absence, a necessity in the wake of his 3-year-old son’s medical scare, did not seem much easier.
In an emotional press conference at Dodger Stadium before he returned to the lineup Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Freeman talked about the rare case of Guillain-Barré syndrome that sent Maximus Freeman to the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Read more: Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman Could Be Close to a Return
“Max is doing all right … but he’s got to relearn how to do pretty much everything,” Freeman told reporters Monday. “Terrible syndrome, Guillain-Barré … but it’s a good thing I’m here, because it means things are trending better. No one should have to go through this, especially with a 3-year-old.”
Freeman rejoined the Dodgers one day after his wife, Chelsea, revealed via Instagram that their 3-year-old son, Maximus, was discharged from the pediatric ICU.
When Maximus Freeman went into full body paralysis on July 26, Freddie was forced to leave the Dodgers amid a road trip to Houston, Texas. He was placed on the family emergency list July 26 and was away from the team for 10 days.
Freeman said “I wasn’t really thinking about baseball at all” while Max was in ICU. Said he maybe saw one highlight of the Astros series
Freeman started swinging a bat last week on Tue/Thu, then hit, fielded & ran bases with his dad at El Modena HS on Sat/Sun
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) August 5, 2024
While his son was hospitalized, “I wasn’t really thinking about baseball at all,” Freddie Freeman said.
The Dodgers officially activated Freeman from the family medical emergency list Monday and installed him in the No. 3 spot in their batting order for their series opener against the Phillies.
Freddie Freeman is back, wearing the #MaxStrong T-shirts all the Dodgers are sporting during BP. Clearly emotional, understandably.
“No one should have to go through with this, especially a 3-year-old. I don’t know how many times Chelsea and I said we wish we could switch.” pic.twitter.com/YueYcaff0Y
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 5, 2024
To make room for Freeman on the active roster, infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio was designated for assignment.
Biggio, 29, had been the Dodgers’ primary first baseman in Freeman’s absence. He played 30 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on June 12. He slashed .192/.306/.329 and saw time at four positions.
Freeman said that his son’s condition improved after the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré, as he quickly responded to treatments.
More news: 3-Year-Old Son of Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman Receives Amazing Health News
“It was [last] Wednesday at 10:46 p.m., I’ll never forget — he had his ventilator pulled, and within six minutes, he was sitting on me,” Freeman said. “I can’t tell you how good that felt, to be able to hold my son again. That was a special time, just knowing how hard he fought in those five days.
Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images
The Dodgers took the field for pregame drills Monday wearing blue shirts featuring the word #MAXSTRONG with Freeman’s No. 5 on the back.
Even as Freeman went back to work, the reminders of his son’s strength were omnipresent.
