Imagine being a pitcher and seeing the Dodgers lineup. Shohei Ohtani is the leadoff, after him comes Mookie Betts. And then you see Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Enrique Hernandez will be following them up. That’s the kind of depth that has gotten the Blue 31 runs in the NLCS. But despite seeing this glut of talent, Freddie Freeman has chosen to play through his toe injury. 

And while that has no doubt impressed his teammates, it has worried them as well. Seeing Freeman collapse in Betts’ arms in NLCS Game 3 after his wild run showed just how hurt the superstar is. But then his sense of responsibility is too high and so Freeman chooses to take a 4-hour therapy in order to play the game. Ironically, though, the Dodgers have shown that they can win even without Freeman (they did again in game 4). So naturally, Mookie Betts had some jokes to make in his close friend’s absence.

Joining Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez, Betts talked about his huge postseason comeback. However, somehow, Mookie found a way to make a small joke about Freddy Freeman. “This is the second game we won without Freddy. Maybe Freddie needs to not play anymore,” Betts said. That quirk sent the entire panel into a laughing fit and for a good reason. However, while it was a joke, it did show some latent worry that Betts and other Dodgers have for Freeman.

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts noted after NLCS game 1 that Freeman was “sacrificing his body” for the team. Doc explained how the fans don’t actually know just how deep Freeman’s issues go. However, Roberts wasn’t alone. Gavin Lux opined that Freddie was a “different breed” and baseball doesn’t have stars like Freeman anymore. Perhaps that’s why, all the Dodgers are pulling their socks. To see a man sacrifice his well-being for the team can surely affect them. But then, while Betts was full of jokes, Freeman couldn’t help but praise the star.

Freddie Freeman in awe of Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani’s brilliance 

The entire clubhouse was in a celebratory mood after the Dodgers routed the Mets 10-2 in NLCS Game 4. Unsurprisingly Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani were the main stars of the show with their twin home runs. “Ever heard of them?” Freddy Freeman joked about the duo per MLB.com. “Right out of the gate, you’re facing Hall of Famers. It’s just amazing, especially when they’re swinging the bat as well as they are right now. It’s fun to hit behind,” Freddie finished. 

That was certainly true in this game. Mookie Betts became the only third player in Dodgers history to have 4 hits and 4 RBIs in a playoff game. The other two are Chris Taylor (2021) and Steve Garvey (1974). This is a huge turnaround from the beginning of this postseason when Betts was emotionally struggling with a lack of hits. The superstar had to even delete his social media because of the constant negativity surrounding him. In a way, this postseason has been unique for both Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

While Freeman has had to struggle physically, Betts had to fight his thoughts. These battles have certainly had an impact on the entire Dodgers clubhouse. For the first time in this postseason, the team’s entire hitting staff is clicking simultaneously. So with World Series just one game 1, can the Dodgers seal their place in Game 5? They’ll certainly want to. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.