Braves hope Freeman will return before August
First baseman has been on DL since June 18 with sprained right wrist
MILWAUKEE -- Freddie Freeman has not yet been cleared to begin any physical activities, but the Braves remain optimistic that he will return to their lineup before the end of July.
Assistant general manager John Coppolella said there is still a chance Freeman will be activated from the disabled list next week after the All-Star break. But it is still a little too early for the club to provide a specific return timetable for its valuable first baseman, who has been sidelined since June 18 with a sprained right wrist.
Freeman was hoping to be cleared to resume some baseball activities by the end of this week, and then begin a Minor League rehab assignment early next week. But it appears he will need to wait a little longer to begin his comeback.
Dr. Gary Lourie has been evaluating Freeman and providing anti-inflammatory injections on an every-other-day basis over the past week.
Freeman started feeling some wrist discomfort during the latter part of a June 13 win over the Mets. He played the remainder of that contest and remained in Atlanta's lineup for four more games before the pain became intolerable and forced him to end his Major League-high streak of 243 consecutive games played.