Freddie Freeman’s deliberately paced spring schedule
Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers’ first baseman, is anticipated to make his 2026 game debut on Tuesday when Los Angeles hosts the Cleveland Guardians.
Speaking with reporters Thursday at Camelback Ranch, Freeman outlined his plans for 2026 and beyond. He expressed a desire to play 162 games again this season—the goal he has chased in prior campaigns, including 2014 and 2018. Part of that plan, however, involves easing into spring training. The 36-year-old will back off just a touch, including opting out of Canada’s World Baseball Classic roster, and the Dodgers will take a more methodical approach to his Cactus League innings.
“I’m feeling good, but we’re going to slow-play it a little bit,” Freeman told reporters Thursday, as captured by SportsNet LA. “It’s kind of planned out that I’ll be around 47 plate appearances, which I kind of like.”
That exact figure is humorously precise—Thursday’s briefing broadened the target to a range of 45–50 plate appearances. Yet it suits Freeman, who is acutely aware of his own counting stats. He currently leads active MLB players in hits (2,431), doubles (547), total bases (4,145), runs scored (1,379), and RBIs (1,322).
If you look at Freeman’s spring training history, excluding the shortened 2022 camp after MLB’s lockout and his first Dodgers season, he has seen 43, 51, and 40 plate appearances in the prior three springs. Those March appearances also included exhibition games in Korea and Japan in the last two years. In 2025, his Cactus League start was delayed due to right ankle surgery he underwent the previous December.
Taken together, these spring plans align with Freeman’s comfort level as he enters his 17th major league season.
So, how many plate appearances will Freddie Freeman accumulate this spring training?
