Freeman was placed on the paternity list ahead of Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, with a three-day window making Wednesday the latest possible return. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “We expect him back at some point in San Francisco.”
London gives the Freemans a fourth child and their first daughter, joining brothers Charlie, Brandon and Maximus. The family has described London’s arrival as the culmination of a long, highly publicized fertility journey, including their use of surrogacy and Chelsea’s unexpected pregnancy at the same time.
The couple’s road to London spans years. After Charlie’s birth in 2016, they pursued surrogacy, and Chelsea became pregnant again, delivering Brandon in 2020 and Maximus in 2021, both carried by the same surrogate. The birth of London was shared as another milestone in that “twins with a twist” journey they discussed publicly.
Freeman’s WBC decision and family considerations have been a recurring theme this spring. He withdrew from Team Canada’s World Baseball Classic roster for personal reasons, explaining at DodgerFest that he needed to be closer to California to be with his family.
With Freeman away, the Dodgers recalled Ryan Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City to cover first base. Ward made his MLB debut in the series opener against the Rockies, going 2-for-5 with an RBI in the loss. Freeman entered 2026 as the active career hits leader (2,431) and had pushed that total to 2,455 early in the season. His return would be a significant boost for a 16-6 Dodgers club that sits atop the National League West heading into the Giants series finale.
