Freddie Freeman In Atlanta Braves Lineup Again, But Should He Be?
By Jeff Schafer
It’s been well documented now that Freddie Freeman has a sore right wrist and it continues to cause painful issues for him. But for some reason, the Atlanta Braves and Fredi Gonzalez continue to insert him into the lineup.
Tuesday is no different.
Freeman will bat third in the lineup and play first base against the Washington Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET as the Braves offense will take on right-handed Tanner Roark….and this could be a cause for Freeman to be in the lineup.
Freeman has rocked Roark when they have faced each other. Freeman has a slash line of .475/.524/.684 in his career against Roark.
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie Freeman | 21 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .474 | .524 | .684 | 1.208 |
Freeman continues to play through the wrist pain, but 680 The Fan’s Kevin McAlpin tweeted earlier today that Freeman will probably play four of the final six games…of course that’s unless the wrist injury flares up into a large problem.
Freddie has already been sidelined twice in 2015 with this nagging wrist and it looks as though he’s going to deal with it until the seasons over.
But should he??
As pointed out by SportsMed.org these types of injuries should be managed properly or the issue could be a long-term problem.
"With so many bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints keeping hands and wrists working, there is ample opportunity for injury. In fact, injuries to the hand and wrists are some of the most common ailments facing athletes. If managed properly, however, most athletes can expect their injury to heal without any significant long-term disability."
Andrelton Simmons and Freeman are very similar in the fact that they both want to be on the field no matter what. Simmons, however, the Braves played it safe with him earlier this season and rested their young superstar.
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Does this all revert back to the article that Ken Rosenthal wrote back in early September about “Gonzalez losing the clubhouse?”
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Does Freeman walk into the clubhouse and tell Gonzalez that he’s playing today?
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I realize Freddie wants to be on the field with his teammates battling every night, but the Braves aren’t anywhere near contention. Why are we risking a long-term injury here??