Freeman (wrist) receives PRP injection
First baseman was placed on 15-day DL earlier this week
WASHINGTON -- It is still far too early to accurately project when Freddie Freeman will return to Atlanta's lineup. But the Braves are hoping the platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) injection Freeman received earlier this week will minimize the length of his stay on the disabled list.
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Freeman was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with what the Braves termed as a right wrist contusion. While the injury description might seem simple, the bone bruise that ended Freeman's Major League-high 243 consecutive-games streak last week can prove to be debilitating for more than just a couple of weeks.
Doctors have recently started prescribing PRP injections to stimulate the healing of damaged soft tissue and bones.
Though it seems highly unlikely that Freeman will be ready to come off the disabled list when he becomes eligible on July 3, the Braves are cautiously optimistic that he might return to action before the All-Star break begins on July 13. If not, the break would provide the 25-year-old first baseman some extra time to recover from this ailment that began bothering him as he took batting practice before the June 14 game against the Mets at Citi Field.
Freeman played through the discomfort for the entirety of three games and then received a cortisone shot immediately after exiting the June 17 home game against the Red Sox. When the pain lingered through this past weekend, the Braves scheduled an MRI exam on Monday and determined he needed at least a couple weeks of rest to allow the bone bruise to heal.
While the Braves currently miss Freeman's presence in the middle of their lineup, they will not rush him back and potentially jeopardize the long-term value of the $135 million investment they made last year, when they signed the All-Star first baseman through the 2021 season.
Freeman was batting .299 with 12 homers and an .887 OPS when he was placed on the disabled list. He hit .375 with five homers and a 1.196 OPS in the 12 games he played this month before his wrist became a problem.