It’s one of those things that’s been in the back of every Dodgers fan’s mind since the very first pitch of the World Baseball Classic currently underway but no one wants to talk about – injuries; especially with MLB’s Opening Day 2023 now only two weeks away. And though it was only “precautionary,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, playing for Team Canada in the WBC, left Tuesday night’s game against Team Mexico in the bottom of the fourth inning third inning after suffering what was being called a “slight hamstring issue” while running to first base on a pop-up in the top of the third. This from Dodger Blue’s Matt Moreno on Twitter:

A short while later, CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson released (in summary) this:

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman exited Canada’s World Baseball Classic game on Tuesday against Colombia with a “slight” hamstring issue, according to the broadcast. He was shown on 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 begin the bottom of the fourth.

“He had tightness in his hammy. Of course for precautionary reasons we took him out of the game right away. He felt something on one of his swings in his second at-bat,” Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt told reporters, including Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser. “I don’t foresee Freddie being in (the lineup) for tomorrow. We’re waiting from the doctors to see what they say and also the Dodgers. Again, that’s the most important thing is his health.”

The most important thing indeed.

Play Ball!

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