Braves' Freeman targeting return before All-Star break
With a tentative rehab assignment in place and the Atlanta Braves superstar making progress on his broken wrist, Freddie Freeman has his sights set on a four-game series against the Washington Nationals that begins July 6 - the team's last before the All-Star break.
Freeman plans to slot into the Triple-A Gwinnett lineup for the start of his rehab assignment when their three-game series begins in Charlotte on July 1.
Following that game, Freeman plans to take the Sunday off, then play the following three days before taking the next step.
" ... If I feel I can hit (Max) Scherzer's heater, or whoever's, then I'll say I'm ready to roll and meet the team in D.C," Freeman told David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Aside from being heralded for his MVP-like pace to begin the 2017 season, Freeman's impending return is also making headlines thanks to his conversion to third base.
In Freeman's absence, the Braves went out and acquired Matt Adams from the St. Louis Cardinals who has filled in admirably, slashing .297/.351/.630 in his 151 plate appearances with his new team. If Adams can continue his torrid pace, shifting Freeman from first base over to the hot corner could help make the team more competitive.
Freeman was posting a .341/.461/.748 slash line through 165 plate appearances before being sidelined six weeks ago after getting hit on the wrist by a pitch.
The Braves are currently holding on to second in the abysmal NL East with a 37-39 record while 8 1/2 games back of the first-place Nationals.