The beloved Brave cost his new team by repeating the same mistake he made in the 2019 NLDS

The longtime Atlanta Braves first baseman has a reputation for being ready to play every day. That's why he ranks third among active players in games played. Freeman loves to play every day, no matter the situation, and with his career numbers, that's one of the reasons he's a future Hall of Fame candidate.

However, we have seen instances before where Freeman has overcome an injury and hurt his team with his performance. Unfortunately for Los Angeles Dodgers fans, he's doing it while their season hangs in the balance.

Freddie Freemans playing in the NLDS due to an ankle injury is costing the Dodgers big money

The same team that eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the postseason also has the mighty LA Dodgers, who are just one game away from elimination. The San Diego Padres have stifled the Dodgers' best hitters so far, Freeman included.

While Freeman had three hits in 11 at-bats this series, none went for extra bases. His ankle sprain bothers him so much that Freeman called it the worst injury he's ever tried to overcome.

That's a pretty bold statement considering what happened when he was with Atlanta in 2019. For those of you who don't remember, Freeman played at an MVP-like level with the Braves from April to August 2019.

When Freeman slowed down in September, it was discovered he had bone spurs in his elbow. Freeman described the injury as “feeling like I was swinging a wet newspaper.” Despite that injury, which robbed Freeman of his strength at the end of 2019, the Braves first baseman played in every game of the NLDS against the Cardinals.

The results weren't pretty. Freeman took a 4:20 lead and the Braves were embarrassingly relegated in the first round. Freeman would undergo surgery the following offseason to remove the bone spurs.

Now he's repeating the same mistake for the Dodgers. As you can see, Freeman is hobbling badly around the diamond during this NLDS. And now the Dodgers are just one game away from another early exit in October.

However, the entire series should not be attributed to Freeman. Other stars such as Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Will Smith also did not appear in this series. And as Braves fans know, the 2024 San Diego Padres are a juggernaut right now.

However, if the Dodgers fail to get out of the first round for the third straight year, numerous players on the roster will be blamed. Freddie Freeman playing the most important games of the year with an ankle injury would certainly be one reason that media and fans point to for the Dodgers' recent defeat in October.

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