Freddie Freeman was all smiles Thursday morning, insisting the latest storyline surrounding his repaired right elbow won't linger beyond next week.
Freeman was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with elbow inflammation. The Braves' All-Star and face-of-the-franchise first baseman had surgery in October to remove multiple bone spurs and loose fragments in the elbow, which grew increasingly worse toward the end of last season.
Manager Brian Snitker downplayed the situation Tuesday, saying the team was being cautious. General manager Alex Anthopoulos provided an update the next day, sharing that the Braves had consulted with Dr. David Altchek, who performed the surgery, and that the swelling was a natural effect from Freeman’s increased activity since arriving to spring training.
Freeman played in the club’s first two exhibition games, making three plate appearances. On Thursday, he addressed reporters for the first time since the elbow re-emerged as a headline. He reiterated Anthopoulos’ expectation that he’d be back in the lineup next week.
"I am not concerned at all," Freeman said. "Just a little hiccup swelled on me on Monday. I feel good. I'm shooting for next week to play again."
Freeman pushed himself Sunday and woke up Monday with swelling, when the team had a trip Dunedin that Freeman wasn’t scheduled to make anyway. He initially was in the next day’s lineup before he was scratched a few hours before first pitch.
Even Monday morning, Freeman said he knew it wasn’t serious. He could still straighten and flex his arm, usually a more difficult maneuver when his elbow was more seriously flaring up. He’s been receiving treatment and expects to resume hitting sometime in the next few days.
“We thought it’d be best if we talked with Dr. Altchek, so we did (on Wednesday),” he said. “We sent him pictures of what it looked like, we talked to him on the phone. He said, ‘Freddie, I have no concern at all. You had surgery four and a half months ago. You increased your activity probably tenfold from what (you) were doing in the offseason.’
“I hit nine days in a row. I threw, I worked out, stuff like that. Now we know how much I can do and I can take it back a little bit. I’ll be good to go. Dr. Altchek said there’s no concern.”
Dr. Altchek told Freeman the swelling shouldn’t be a recurring issue. Freeman said the swelling already is gone and he’s focusing on returning to the lineup. He usually feels regular-season ready after a week’s worth of games, so he isn’t sweating missing a minor sum of time.
Freeman’s pregame workouts will be a bit tamer, he acknowledged, and he’s going to throw less before games. He’s thankful he quickly learned his current limitations, rather than having such a situation emerge over the important 162-game slate.
“I had surgery four months ago, I knew it’d be touch and go here,” Freeman said. “I knew hitting three days a week in the offseason, I played catch five days a week. I knew once I started doing something every single day like I had been here, I knew there was a chance. I’m glad it happened in February. Now I can get the swelling out — and it is out — and work my way back into the lineup.”
