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Freeman says he won't return until after All-Star break

ATLANTA - Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman says he likely won't return from a wrist injury until after the All-Star break.

The two-time All-Star still has severe tendon and ligament inflammation. He continues to feel significant pain following a platelet-rich plasma injection last week.

Atlanta placed him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 18, with a right wrist contusion.

''The bone bruise is healing, so we're kind of focusing our time into getting the inflammation out of my ligament area,'' Freeman said Thursday. ''We started a new treatment three days ago.''

Freeman leads Atlanta with 12 homers, 41 RBIs and 132 total bases. The Braves signed Freeman to an eight-year, $135 million contract in February 2014. They have scored just 26 runs in the 12 games he has missed.

After taking an awkward swing June 13 at the New York Mets, Freeman played the next four games with the injury, but has been sidelined since. He appeared in 234 consecutive games before the injury.

''I was pretty bummed for a while,'' he said. ''Now I'm just focused on trying to get back and be healthy. It's definitely tough.''

It's possible that he could get cleared late next week to resume light baseball activities. Freeman said it's a ''best-case scenario'' that he'll return immediately after the All-Star break that ends July 17.

He added that his right wrist was originally injured in 2009.

''It healed, but I had to get shut down after the Double-A season and then I took another month before I went to the fall league,'' Freeman said. ''It was two months of resting.''

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