With his son, Max, finally returning from the hospital, Dodgers star Freddie Freeman also came back into the game with the squad as they went on to bring a promising 5-3 win at the end of the day to begin the first string of their three-game clash versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

Freeman was absent for a total of nine days as his son, Max, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome – a rare neurological illness. The first baseman was missed in those last nine games, but the Dodgers did manage to stay afloat in the race to the top spot. Freeman’s return proved to be a pivotal moment for the team as they faced one of the best teams in the MLB right now, and he certainly played a huge role in the win.

In his return, Freeman was cheered loudly by the fans at Dodger Stadium as the star made his return to the field after his absence. He did confirm that his son was already home and was making a full recovery so far, which definitely eased the worries of the Dodgers star.

#MaxStrong Continues

Freeman wore a blue shirt that read #MaxStrong across the chest. In his 30-minute interview with the team media, it did seem that the first baseman would be really keen to bring a promising pace in his return as he held back his tears in telling the media about his family’s status.

“It’s a good thing I’m here, because it means things are trending better,” Freeman said as he choked up. “Chelsea and I, it’s been a long week. No one should have to go through this, especially a 3-year-old. I don’t know how many times Chelsea and I said we wish we could switch.”

So far, the Freemans have already shared that Max is at home and is making a speedy recovery. According to the doctors, there is a high chance that their son will be better in the long run. It has been a long week for the Freemans, but now they are really comfortable that their three-year-old son would get back to normal as soon as possible.

“Max is doing all right,” Freeman said. “We came home Saturday night from the ICU. So we started physical therapy yesterday, and let me tell you, he hates that. But he’s doing OK. He’s back, he’s Max. He’s doing good in that aspect. But he’s got to relearn how to do pretty much everything. Terrible syndrome. He’s doing OK. He’s on his way to being better.”

A Return to the Big Stage

Freeman played his first game since July 25th, and the first baseman did not waste any time as he continued to build on a strong season that has seen him named as one of the best players in the game. As of the time of writing, Freeman is hitting .287 along with 16 homers and 67 RBI.

The star nailed four at-bats to help in the win, which definitely sealed the deal for the Dodgers as they rolled over the Phillies in a 5-3 win to open up their series. It is expected that the Dodgers will quickly integrate him into the lineup to further improve their chances of winning. In the aftermath of the victory over the Phillies, Freeman has helped the club improve to a 66-47 record, moving them five games ahead from the other contenders in the National League West.