Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman walked out of Canada’s World Baseball Classic game Tuesday against Colombia with a “mild” hamstring problem, the show said. He was shown in the replay running at a conservative pace after hitting a pop-up to end the top of the third inning. Freeman was replaced by Denzel Clarke to start the bottom of the fourth.
Here’s a look at Freeman’s gang after his pop-up:
Freeman, 33, has been remarkably long-lived throughout his big-league career. He has played in at least 158 games in each of the last four full seasons and used all 60 of his opportunities during the 2020 season curtailed by the pandemic. Last season, his first with the Dodgers, he hit .325/.407/.511 (152 OPS+) with 21 homers in 159 contests.
Manager Ernie Whitt told reporters: including Baseball America’s Kyle Glaserthat Freeman is unlikely to appear in Canada’s line-up when they take on Mexico on Wednesday.
“He was tight in his hammy. Of course, as a precaution, we took him out of the game immediately. He felt something on one of his punches on his second at-bat,” Whitt said, per Glaser. “I don’t see Freddie going to be in (the lineup) tomorrow. We’re waiting for the doctors to see what they say and the Dodgers too. Again, the most important thing is his health.”
Freeman’s injury could prove critical for Canada, who went 1-1 in Monday’s Group C game. Canada has a date with Mexico on Wednesday afternoon, but Mexico will play Great Britain first on Tuesday night. Assuming the Americans defeat Colombia on Wednesday night, the Canada-Mexico would retroactively become an eliminator.
Canada has yet to progress beyond pool in the WBC, although it has competed in every tournament to date.