Freddie Freeman injury update bodes well for Dodgers ahead of NLDS

The Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled with injuries as much, if not more, than any team in the league this season. They limped into the postseason with a pitching staff that looks nothing like the staff that started the year. But just before the start of the postseason, one of the Dodgers' top players also got bitten by the injury bug.

Freddie Freeman suffered a serious ankle sprain while trying to avoid a tag at first base a week ago. Freeman's ailment would typically carry an injury list stint of about a month. But with the season on the line, Freeman can't just sit on the sidelines.

"They told me this is a four- to six-week IL stint," Freeman said, h/t ESPN. "And I'm going to try to do this in a week and play."

The journey back has been a lengthy one, though it's taken place in just about a week.

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Freddie Freeman expecting to play after suffering serious ankle injury a week ago

Freeman began with hitting and felt good doing that. But Shohei Ohtani is locked into the Dodgers' DH spot for the length of his Dodgers career, so if Freeman wants to be in the lineup, he's going to need to be able to play the field too.

Initially after the injury, manager Dave Roberts didn't doubt Freeman's ability to play in Game 1 against the rival San Diego Padres.

"I'm expecting him to be in the lineup," said Roberts. "What that looks like, I guess we'll know when we see him out there. But with Freddie, I don't doubt that he'll be ready to go."

After Roberts said this, Freeman played defense and ran the bases. While he was still favoring the ankle a bit when he was moving around laterally, he looked good enough to go and he claimed to be good after the workout was over.

Freeman is going to play through this injury that would have kept just about anybody else sidelined for four to six weeks.

Freeman has now dealt with serious ankle and finger injuries. There are few, if any, players across the league that have dealt with more adversity than Freeman has this season, but the veteran is still pushing on.