
Right before the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were set to start their first of two games in Tokyo to officially open the 2025 MLB season, the Dodgers scratched Freddie Freeman from the lineup.
Freeman experienced rib discomfort during batting practice on Tuesday, causing him to sit out for the game. He told reporters after the game, which the Dodgers won 4–1, that the pain is similar to what he dealt with during last season's playoff run. It was revealed after Los Angeles's World Series win that Freeman played through the postseason with broken cartilage in his ribcage.