LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Though his resume was strong enough to gain a fourth-place finish in last year’s National League Most Valuable Player Award balloting, Freddie Freeman still progressed through much of last season without the power he had displayed before his left wrist was fractured two years ago.

Needless to say, Freeman had further reason to be happy about homering in what was just his second plate appearance of the spring. The Braves first baseman highlighted his Grapefruit League season debut with a two-run shot in the fourth inning of Monday afternoon’s 9-4 win over the Nationals at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex.

“I feel a lot stronger,” Freeman said. “Everybody has been telling me I look bigger. That was the whole goal. I worked out with Danny Espinosa all winter. Hopefully it pays off. I feel good and I feel strong. I felt good all of last year. Hopefully another year removed from it, I won’t have to answer these questions again anymore in 2019.”

Freeman notched his third consecutive 20-homer season last year, but he tallied just eight of his 23 homers within his final 355 at-bats. He homered once every 44.4 at-bats within that span and once every 26.9 at-bats during the season. These ratios paled in comparison to the 12.9 AB/HR mark he produced while tallying 38 homers from June 15, 2016 to May 17, 2017 -- the day his left wrist was fractured by a pitch thrown by Blue Jays left-hander Aaron Loup.

Further removed from that fracture and the bruise suffered when his left wrist was again struck by a pitch in last season’s 18th game, Freeman was able to fully commit himself during this past offseason’s workouts. There’s seldom been reason to worry about him coming to camp with a rusty swing. He has now homered within his first two exhibition games in three of the past five years.

“I felt pretty good standing up there,” Freeman said. “I felt good a few days ago during live [batting practice]. I felt ready to go. That’s why I wanted to play today. It was nice to get that one out of the way.”

Freeman’s two-run shot off former Braves prospect J.J. Hoover hit the image of Freeman displayed on the center-field video board. After rounding the bases and grabbing his glove before heading to the clubhouse, the All-Star first baseman told manager Brian Snitker he’d be ready to tally a few more plate appearances on Tuesday.

Donaldson and Swanson updates

Josh Donaldson and Dansby Swanson are both scheduled to debut during Friday’s game against the Blue Jays. Along with having a chance to play against his former team, Donaldson will more importantly guard against rushing things like he may have done both of the past two Spring Trainings.

Donaldson’s left calf sidelined him for a portion of the 2017 Grapefruit League season and he battled a sore right shoulder during the early days of Toronto’s camp last year. He suffered a left calf strain near the end of May and ended up playing just 52 regular-season games.

“He’s over there doing running stuff and all that,” Snitker said. “He’s another one with whom we’re just going to plan it out. That’s what I do with most of them. I meet with them weekly and we go over their week. I don’t want to surprise [the older guys] with what they’re going to do.”

Swanson is a little ahead of schedule as he makes his way back from left wrist surgery performed in November.

“[Swanson] is checking all the boxes and feeling good,” Snitker said. “We’ve got him playing four games [within seven days]. If he passes that, he’ll be ready to be used normally again.”

Fried’s debut

Max Fried appeared to be doing too much as he struggled with his fastball command during the first inning of Monday’s win. Fried surrendered a first-pitch leadoff single, issued a walk, surrendered a double steal and breathed a sigh of relief when Johan Camargo turned a line drive into a double play. But the lone run surrendered during the lefty’s two-inning debut came courtesy of a passed ball.

“The second inning was better, he was probably just a little too amped up,” Snitker said. “I think he was probably trying to do too much. His command wasn’t great, but I just wanted him to get through that first [outing].”

Whalen announces retirement

Former Braves pitcher Rob Whalen announced his decision to retire on Monday at age 25, after dealing with depression and anxiety issues over the last two years.

"This might be a shock to some but I have ultimately decided to officially retire from professional baseball this morning," Whalen wrote in a statement on Twitter. "I've publicly shared my battle with depression/anxiety over the last two years, and in that time, I've been able to learn a lot about myself -- but most importantly I learned that I can have a fulfilling life outside of baseball. Despite having a lot of moments in my career that I'm not proud of, I've also been extremely blessed with some of the greatest memories of my life because of this game."

Whalen pitched three Major League seasons for the Braves and Mariners, notching his one career win in his big league debut on Aug. 3, 2016, for Atlanta. He pitched eight career games with a 5.75 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 36 innings. The right-hander was drafted by the Mets in the 12th round in the 2012 Draft before being traded to the Braves in July 2015. After pitching one season in Atlanta, Whalen was traded to Seattle in November 2016.

Up next

Brian McCann will make his Grapefruit League season debut when the Braves host the Mets Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET. McCann will be making his first appearance in an Atlanta uniform since 2013, when he ended an 11-year tenure with the organization. Left-hander Sean Newcomb will also be making his first start.