Freddie Freeman believes he’s ‘a 100-percent go’ to start World Series Game 1

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman said Tuesday that all signs point to him returning to the Dodgers lineup for Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, after a week of rest on his right ankle.

“With this time off, it’s going to be a 100-percent go for me in Game 1, and we’ll adjust off of that,” Freeman said over Zoom. “I don’t think there’s any question in anybody’s mind.”

By the time Game 1 rolls around on Friday, Freeman will have had seven full days off after last playing in Game 5 of the NLCS. For the bulk of the days since, Freeman has been getting treatment, hitting, and doing some light drills, but no running.

“I want to get this thing to calm down as much as I possibly can, to be at my best self and be ready to go by Game 1,” Freeman said.

In the games and innings Freeman has missed this postseason, third baseman Max Muncy shifted over to first base with Kiké Hernández getting the bulk of that time at third base. Muncy has been one of several Dodgers to praise Freeman for trying to play through the injury, and his teammates have even tried to help him along the way as best they can.

“You’re talking about one of the most consistent players in the game the last 10-12 years,” Muncy said Tuesday. “To get him back, to have him in that lineup, just adds that depth. On top of that, all the key hits, the clutch hits he’s had in his career this time of year, you can’t really quantify how valuable that is.”

Freeman this postseason has seven singles in 32 at-bats, hitting .219/.242/.219.

“With a good swing, that’s where the power comes,” Freeman said. “I don’t have any power right now because my swing is cutting through the zone.”

Manager Dave Roberts said between Games 5 and 6 of the NLCS that he felt Freeman’s swing became compromised as he compensated for his right ankle, which was sprained on September 26. Freeman acknowledged that as well on Tuesday, also noting that his swing has since felt much better.

“My swing, when I hit the ground, when I hit the ground I usually go into my front foot and then turn,” Freeman explained. “In Game 5, I was hitting and spinning, because my ankle was not allowing me to do what I wanted it to do.”

Freeman so far this October has played in eight of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason games, and left five of the games he played late for a defensive replacement or due to feeling discomfort in the ankle. He and the Dodgers are looking forward to what the week off will bring.

“Appreciating the fact that we’ve got for more days to nurse his ankle back to health, I think there’s only upside in that,” Roberts said Tuesday. “I think mentally he’s in a good spot, anxious obviously with the ankle, but I don’t doubt the fact that he’ll be in there for Game 1. Hopefully with these days, we’ve gotten ourselves out of the woods and we can manage him throughout the World Series.”