The Los Angeles Dodgers sent down infielder Alex Freeland following shortstop Mookie Betts’ return from the injured list, and he has finally found his bat in Triple-A.
The 24-year-old began the season in MLB after breaking camp with the Dodgers in spring training, and proved his worth in the first game of the season. He crushed a homer on Opening Day, also logging a double as the Dodgers cruised to a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. After that, though, things slowed down for him.
After 33 games, Freeland had a .235 batting average and struck out nearly three times as often as he drew a walk. Freeland hit just six extra-base hits in 33 games, recording eight RBIs. His .646 OPS is an improvement over his 2025 mark of .602, but it still wasn’t enough to warrant him staying in the big leagues.
Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Alex Freeland (76) celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
What Has Freeland Done Since Going Back to Triple-A?
Freeland has had solid numbers in Triple-A over the course of his career, but has taken things to a new level during his current spell in the minors.
Through four games, Freeland has recorded eight hits in 19 at-bats, hitting three homers and driving in 10 RBIs. His strikeout rate is still rather high for his standards, sitting at 23.8%, but his power and offensive production have made up for it with Oklahoma City.
He has three hits in each of his last two games, and logged two homers in his most recent outing against the Albuquerque Isotopes—just his second two-homer game in Triple-A. He has a .421/.476/.895 slash line for a 1.371 OPS since going back down.
May 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland (76) runs to first base on a single during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Do the Dodgers Have Space for Freeland?
While his recent spell certainly warrants consideration for a return in the near future, the Dodgers have more than just Freeland’s results to consider when thinking about calling him up.
The first issue for the Dodgers is their players returning from the injured list. Tommy Edman also plays second base, and while his recovery has delayed a bit, he is still likely to reclaim his spot at second base sometime this season. Kiké Hernandez is also due to return at some point, and will likely fill in as an infielder when he does.
If the Dodgers were to call up Freeland, he’d be the first player to head straight back down when one of those players returns.
The Dodgers have made it clear they place value in developmental pieces playing every day, and Freeland has the opportunity to do that with Oklahoma City for the time being. Should he continue to rip up Triple-A pitching, though, he could feature again for the Dodgers at some point this season.
Do you think Alex Freeland could come back up to MLB at some point this year?
LA Baseball Report
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