Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman remains out as son battles illness
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman remains away from the team to be with his ailing 3-year-old son, who was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder earlier this week.
Freeman has missed the Dodgers’ last six games since he was scratched from the lineup before a series opener at the Houston Astros on July 26.
He rushed home from Houston that day to be with his son Maximus, who had suddenly gone into full body paralysis the day before, Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday.
The Freemans shared that Maximus was diagnosed with “a severe case” of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the nervous system, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The condition can cause weakness and paralysis and can also prevent a person from being able to breathe on their own, according to NINDS.
“These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives,” the Freemans wrote. “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed.”
The Freemans wrote that Maximus improved considerably throughout the week and no longer needed a breathing tube or a ventilator by Wednesday.
“We believe in the power of prayer and we have been witnessing a miracle in his recovery,” the Freemans wrote.
Freeman has been on the Dodgers’ family emergency list since last Saturday. The timetable for his return remains uncertain, per MLB.com.
The 34-year-old Freeman, who was named to his eighth All-Star team this year, is batting .288 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs over 104 games for Los Angeles this season.
The Dodgers enter Saturday four games ahead of the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.
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White Sox Claim Gus Varland Off Waivers from Dodgers
The Chicago White Sox added some organizational pitching depth Friday by claiming right-hander Gus Varland off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A 14th-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2018, Varland has spent time with four organizations. In 26.1 MLB innings split between the Milwaukee Brewers and Dodgers, the 27-year-old owns a 5.81 ERA and 2.05 WHIP.
The Maplewood, Minnesota native posted a 3.00 ERA in six innings for the Dodgers but struggled with a 7.99 mark across 32.2 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season before Los Angeles designated him for assignment. Varland will join Triple-A Charlotte upon joining the White Sox organization.
Friday’s waiver claim continues a busy week of transactions between the White Sox and Dodgers. The Spring Training roommates were involved in a three-team trade Tuesday that sent Michael Kopech to Los Angeles and three young infielders to Chicago.
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