CINCINNATI — When Alex Freeland’s phone lit up at 6 o’clock on Monday night, he saw that it was his Triple-A Oklahoma City manager Scott Hennessey calling.
“We have a good relationship, so when I saw it was him calling me I had a smile on my face,” Freeland said. “It was ‘What’s he got for me?’”
What Hennessey had was the news every minor-leaguer hopes to get – he was being called up to the major leagues. Freeland, who turns 24 next month, joined the Dodgers in Cincinnati on Tuesday and Hyeseong Kim went on the injured list with bursitis in his left shoulder.
“Basically like all year,” Freeland said of how long he had been waiting for that call. “But I’m not putting too much thought into it when I’m playing. Like, whenever it will happen, it’ll happen. It happened.
“Seeing (catcher) Dalton (Rushing) go up earlier in the year, I was like, ‘Oh, okay, maybe it is this year.’ I’ll be ready.”
Freeland’s opportunity came with two Dodgers infielders nursing injuries. Kim had been hampered by his shoulder issue for some time and will return to Los Angeles now and get an injection to treat the bursitis.
“So he’ll be down for a couple days with no activity,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Hopefully it’s going to be shorter term. But you know Hyeseong – this guy is tough, tough as nails. He could have kept going. But … it’s best for him.”
Edman, meanwhile, tested his injured left ankle with a pre-game workout and was in the starting lineup at third base. He hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat.
“It’s something that’s kind of always there. But I would see it’s been pretty normal,” he said of the recurring ankle pain that flared up again while running the bases during Sunday’s game.
“I hope it doesn’t come up again. You know, I don’t feel like this is that big a deal. I was just at a point where I didn’t feel like I could run full speed (Monday). I got some good treatment so hopefully I’ll be back available (Tuesday).”
Roberts said he plans to give Freeland his first major-league start on Wednesday at third base, giving Edman the day off and then re-evaluating his status after the off day Thursday. Freeland could get two starts during the three-game series in Tampa this weekend, Roberts said.
A third-round draft pick out of the University of Central Florida in 2022, Freeland was primarily a shortstop until adding second and third base in the past two seasons. At OKC this year, he started 67 games at shortstop and 26 at third base, playing there more frequently this month after Max Muncy’s injury created a potential opening at the major-league level.
He had a breakout year in 2024, advancing from Class-A to Double-A and then Triple-A. The switch-hitter was batting .253 with 12 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .799 OPS at OKC this year.
“I think a big thing for the Dodgers is letting you play your game and play loose. I think I’ve fully embraced that,” Freeland said. “I’m just going to go out there every day and try my best and have fun with it. I think that’s worked pretty well.”
MUNCY REHAB
Playing in a game for the first time since suffering a bone bruise in his left knee on July 2, Muncy went hitless in three at-bats and played third base for five innings on Tuesday night in the first game of a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with OKC.
Muncy flew out in his first at-bat then struck out in his next two. He is expected to continue his rehab assignment on Wednesday and could rejoin the Dodgers as soon as this weekend. More likely, he won’t be activated until next week during the Dodgers’ next homestand.
SCOTT STATUS
Roberts said Tanner Scott has started playing catch. Scott went on the IL after feeling a stinging sensation his forearm during his July 21 outing. There is still no specific timeline for his return.
“I still believe it’s going to be a shorter stint,” Roberts said. “But given the sensation that he went through, felt we’re still going to be careful. I really don’t even know what that means.”
PITCHING PLANS
Over the weekend, Roberts said Shohei Ohtani would not have a designated “piggyback” partner for his start on Wednesday. Ben Casparius, Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan have all followed Ohtani at least once during his first six starts.
But Roberts hedged a little Tuesday, saying Sheehan “might be” available to follow Ohtani against the Reds.
“I think ‘Emmet’s just going to kind of be ready to go,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is expected to go four innings for the first time this week. He threw a season-high 46 pitches in three innings in his most recent pitching start.
Meanwhile, Blake Snell is lined up to make his return from a shoulder injury and start Saturday in Tampa. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to start Friday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 0-0, 1.50 ERA) at Reds (RHP Nick Martinez, 9-9, 4.69 ERA), Wednesday, 4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only), 570 AM