Dodgers player Freddie Freeman returns emotional after treating his sick 3-year-old son

The last 10 days have not been easy for Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Talking about his absence, a necessity after his three-year-old son’s medical scare, did not seem much easier.

In an emotional news conference at Dodger Stadium before returning to the lineup Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Freeman spoke about the rare case of Guillain-Barré syndrome that sent Maximus Freeman to the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Read moreDodgers’ Freddie Freeman could be close to returning

“Max is fine… but he has to relearn how to do almost everything,” Freeman told reporters Monday. “It’s a terrible syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome… but it’s good that he’s here because it means things are getting better. No one should have to go through this, especially with a three-year-old.”

Freeman rejoined the Dodgers a day after his wife, Chelsea, revealed via Instagram that their 3-year-old son, Maximus, had been discharged from the pediatric ICU.

When Maximus Freeman suffered total body paralysis on July 26, Freddie was forced to leave the Dodgers in the middle of a trip to Houston, Texas. He was placed on the family emergency list on July 26 and was away from the team for 10 days.

Freeman said he “wasn’t thinking about baseball at all” while Max was in the ICU. He said he may have seen a highlight of the Astros series

Freeman began hitting last week on Tuesday and Thursday, then hit, fielded and ran bases with his father at El Modena HS on Saturday and Sunday.

— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) August 5, 2024

While his son was hospitalized, “I wasn’t really thinking about baseball at all,” Freddie Freeman said.

The Dodgers officially activated Freeman from the family medical emergency list on Monday and installed him in the No. 3 spot in their batting order for the series opener against the Phillies.

Freddie Freeman is back, sporting the #MaxStrong The jerseys that all the Dodgers wear during batting practice. Clearly, it’s emotional, understandably so.

“No one should have to go through this, especially a 3-year-old. I can’t tell you how many times Chelsea and I said we wish we could switch teams.” photo.twitter.com/YueYcaff0Y

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 5, 2024

To make room for Freeman on the active roster, infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio was designated for assignment.

Biggio, 29, had been the Dodgers’ primary first baseman in Freeman’s absence. He played in 30 games after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on June 12. He batted .192/.306/.329 and played four positions.

Freeman said her son’s condition improved after his Guillain-Barré diagnosis as he responded quickly to treatments.

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“It was last Wednesday at 10:46 p.m. I’ll never forget it: They took him off the ventilator and within six minutes he was sitting on top of me,” Freeman said. “I can’t tell you how good it felt to be able to hold my son again. It was a special moment, just knowing how much he struggled during those five days.