Paredes, Freeman feted with weekly honors

June 27th, 2022

Rays utility infielder Isaac Paredes and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman have been named the Players of the Week presented by Chevrolet on Monday.

Paredes entered the week with five homers and a .647 OPS through 87 plate appearances this season, but he doubled his home run total and added 281 points to his OPS by week’s end.

The 23-year-old went 11-for-19 with five homers, two doubles, nine RBIs and a 2.093 OPS over five games this past week, including the seventh three-homer game in Rays franchise history on Tuesday.

Paredes joined Tampa Bay shortly before Opening Day when it acquired him from the Tigers for Austin Meadows in a one-for-one swap. He’s the second Rays player to win the American League Player of the Week Award this season, joining Manuel Margot.

Freeman had won the National League Player of the Week Award five times previously, all with the Braves. The first baseman, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal with Los Angeles in March, made his emotional return to Atlanta for the first time as a visiting player on Friday when the Dodgers began a three-game series against the Braves at Truist Park.

Freeman went 11-for-25 (.440) in the past seven days, with two homers, a triple, two doubles, 11 RBIs and a 1.373 OPS over six games.