“It was so much bigger than baseball": Tyler Glasnow discusses Freddie Freeman's emotional return and its impact within the clubhouse
Freddie Freeman made an emotional return to the LA Dodgers after his son Maximus' recovery following a huge health scare. Upon his return from family emergency leave on August 5, in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the whole of Dodger Stadium was at their feet when the first baseman arrived at the plate.
Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow described Freddie Freeman's return moment as "extremely emotional" on Chris Rose's podcast. He further added about the impact of Freeman on the team.
“Freddie means so much to this team,” Glasnow said. “His clubhouse presence, he's one of the most professional baseball players I've ever met. Will never take a day off, no matter how bad he feels. He always plays. It means so much to him, but his kids mean everything to him.”
“It was so much bigger than baseball, it made stressing about baseball pointless,” Glasnow added. “The grand scheme of life, that is so much more important.”
Before he had to be with his family during the difficult time, Freddie Freeman hadn't missed a single game for the Dodgers this season, showing the professionalism of the former World Series champion.
What happened to Freddie Freeman's son, Maximus?
Maximus came down with a viral infection he carried since the All-Star break. His health deteriorated to the point where he had to be taken to the ER after he suffered "full-body paralysis." At the time, Freeman was in Houston on a road trip with the Dodgers.
When his wife, Chelsea, informed him, he hurried back to California on his first flight. After a series of tests, it was determined that Maximus was suffering from a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. This is a rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children, Freddie Freeman's wife Chelsea said on social media.
Upon learning this news, the MLB community and close friends came together and sent wishes for the well-being of Maximus. Freeman's son made a miraculous recovery in the next 48 hours.
"We have been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours. Maximus was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator yesterday, which is a huge win for us. We believe in the power of prayer and we have been witnessing a miracle in his recovery," Chelsea wrote in her post.
In the latest update she shared on August 5, Maximus was discharged from the hospital after spending eight days in the pediatric ICU. He is expected to make a full recovery. However, he will have to regain strength and learn to walk but at least he has avoided dreadful suffering.