In the eighth inning of a Dodgers‑Royals game, Freddie Freeman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors dugout while trying to catch a foul popup. He finished the top of the inning but was replaced by Tommy Edman in the bottom, as Los Angeles closed out a 4-2 victory. Freeman admitted he was sore—kneecaps, shoulder, hand and wrist—but did not hit his head, and he believes he avoided a worse outcome. He plans to see how he feels in the morning before deciding whether to play in the Dodgers’ series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, who are leading the MLB. The incident reminded Freeman of past fielding mishaps, including a fall into Arizona seats a decade ago and the 1999 opening‑day fall of Mo Vaughn. Manager Dave Roberts praised the player’s good spirits and noted the body soreness. The Dodgers, the 2024 World Series champions, look forward to their rematch with Milwaukee next Thursday.

Freddie Freeman turned 37 shortly after the fall, and the 6‑foot‑4 veteran said his height helped keep him from serious injury.