The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed first baseman Freddie Freeman on the paternity list and recalled Ryan Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City for his major league debut. Ward, 28, will start at first base and bat seventh against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The longtime minor league prospect has spent seven years in the organization's farm system.

Ward was selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2019 draft and worked his way through the minors to Oklahoma City in 2024. He earned Pacific Coast League MVP honors in 2025 after slugging 36 home runs and driving in 122 runs for the Comets. In 18 games with Oklahoma City this season, he batted .324 with four home runs before his call-up.

Freeman announced in February that he and his wife, Chelsea, were expecting their fourth child. The three-time All-Star is hitting .296 with three home runs and 14 RBIs this season. Manager Dave Roberts praised Ward's perseverance, noting he's never been a top prospect but earned his opportunity through consistent performance.