"Three days of missing work kinda paid off" - Freddie Freeman's injury layoff rewarded in a big way as Dodgers win series opener vs. D-backs

Freddie Freeman was back in the Dodgers lineup for their clash against the Diamondbacks on August 31 and in some style. The veteran hit a two-run home run to lift their team in a see-saw battle that ended 10-9 in favor of the home team.

Freddie Freeman has been one of the most consistent players in the MLB over the last decade, both in terms of performance and health. Throughout his career, he has missed more than 30 games in a full season only twice, in 2015 and 2017. In fact, the first baseman has only missed nine regular-season games since 2018.

Thus, it was a rare sight to see him miss eight games at the end of last month, as his son Maximus had to be hospitalized. It was also reported a few days back that the 8x All-Star had been playing with a hairline fracture in his right middle finger, which had seriously dented his power as he struggled at the plate.

The 34-year-old was announced to return for the series against the D-backs. On his first at-bat, he hit a 3-0, 95 mph fastball for a 390-foot home run that also scored Shohei Ohtani. He was forced into a ground out in the second inning but Miguel Rojas was able to score off it, giving Freeman his third RBI of the night. The infielder spoke about his layoff after the game.

"I am just glad of the work I put in the last few days. Three days of missing work kinda paid off. I was feeling good out there," Freeman said.

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Freddie Freeman acknowledges much needed break

Sometimes athletes have a hard time balancing their personal lives with their on-field performance. Freddie Freeman has certainly gone through a lot over the last few days. Thus it was only fair that he used up the injury layoff for a mental reset as well.

“Once I got into the break, that’s when I was like, ‘You know what, I think it’s time to just shut it off for a second,’” Freeman said (per Orange County Register). “We all have things going on in our lives. It’s been a lot the last six weeks.”

Freeman is hitting at .283 with 76 RBIs including 18 home runs this season. He would be looking to continue his form over the next month.