Dodgers Secure NL West Title But Suffer Injury to Freddie Freeman

The Dodgers secured their 11th National League West title in the past 12 years on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, defeating the San Diego Padres 7-2.

The Dodgers will be without first baseman Freddie Freeman, who rolled his ankle while attempting to run out a ground ball after an awkward play at first base in the seventh inning.

Freeman, 35, experienced pain on the field after stumbling while running down the first-base line.

Following the game, Freeman was seen wearing a walking boot while his teammates enjoyed their celebratory party for clinching. However, he informed reporters afterward that an X-ray showed no structural damage to his ankle, keeping his chances of participating in the postseason alive.

The Dodgers will head to Colorado on Friday to play three games against the Rockies, concluding the regular season. Their next match will be on October 5 against an opponent yet to be decided. This could be either the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, or Arizona Diamondbacks— the three teams competing for the last two Wild Card spots—or the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers.

On Thursday, the Dodgers and Padres were tied at 2-2 when Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts hit consecutive run-scoring hits, helping Los Angeles surge ahead 5-2. Andy Pages added a home run in the eighth inning, extending the lead to 7-2.

Will Smith also hit a home run for the Dodgers, who are still aiming to fend off the Philadelphia Phillies (94-65) for the top seed in the postseason. The Phillies will conclude their season against the Washington Nationals this weekend in D.C.

If Freeman gets eight days to rest before his next game, there is hope that he can continue performing at a high level. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned to reporters during the clubhouse celebration on Thursday that Freeman might have played in Colorado if the Dodgers hadn’t already secured the division title.

In 148 games this season, Freeman recorded a batting average of .282, with a .378 on-base percentage and a .476 slugging percentage. He will end the season with 22 home runs, 89 RBIs, 35 doubles, and nine stolen bases.

It was the first time since 2018 that the Dodgers secured a division title at home with fans present. While they clinched a playoff spot at home in 2020, no fans were allowed in the stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.