Freddie Freeman just won World Series MVP while dealing with an injured ankle. But apparently, he had an even worse injury he kept hidden.
On Thursday, as the Los Angeles Dodgers basked in the glow of their World Series victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday, it was revealed their first baseman had been playing with broken cartilage in his ribcage.
On Oct. 3 during a simulated game before the Dodgers would host the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series, Freeman felt pain in his side. He tried to ignore it. Then the following happened, according to a story from ESPN's Jeff Passan:
A day later, Oct. 4, after Freeman finished a news conference in which he declared himself ready to play despite the ankle injury, he retreated to the batting cage at Dodger Stadium. He wanted to take some swings in preparation for a live batting-practice session. His side tingled with each of his first dozen swings. On the 13th swing, Freeman felt a jolt through his body and crumbled to the ground.
Freeman couldn't get up off the floor, and then underwent X-rays before an MRI later that night. The results showed he had broken the costal cartilage in his sixth rib. According to Passan, it's an injury that usually sidelines players for months. Freeman played through it.
All told, Freeman wound up playing 13 games in the postseason and struggled early on, but in the World Series he came alive. In the Fall Classic, the 35-year-old hit .300 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He also provided the series' biggest moment by delivering a game-winning, walk-off grand slam home run in the 10th inning of Game 1. He homered in the first four games of the series.
Freeman toughed out the sprained ankle and the rib injury and has been rewarded with his second World Series ring as a result. Safe to say the pain was worth it in the end.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Freddie Freeman Revealed to Have Played Through Second Injury in Historic World Series.
