Alex Freeland -- General News

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they will option second baseman Alex Freeland to Triple-A when Mookie Betts returns from the injured list Monday. Betts completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City after recovering from a right oblique strain sustained during a game against the Washington Nationals in the team's third series. He experienced a minor setback during recovery but returned within the 4-6 week timeline the organization expected.

Freeland made the Opening Day roster and impressed early, hitting a double and home run in the season's first game against Arizona. However, his performance has declined significantly since then. Through 33 games and 98 at-bats, Freeland has posted a .235/.309/.337 slash line with only two home runs and eight RBIs. The Dodgers selected Freeland over prospect Hyeseong Kim for Opening Day based partly on his ability to draw walks, though he has performed at approximately league average in that category. Kim, who was called up during Betts' absence, has accumulated nearly as many walks as Freeland despite having 30 fewer plate appearances.

With Freeland's demotion, the Dodgers' infield will realign, with Betts returning to shortstop. Before Betts' injury, Freeland and Miguel Rojas had split time at second base in a platoon arrangement. The organization also had the option to option Kim back to the minors or designate Santiago Espinal for assignment.

On May 10, 2026, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Alex Freeland made a leaping catch at second base against Atlanta Braves batter Eli White in the top of the second inning with one out. The play came off a four-seam fastball thrown by Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski traveling at 93.8 mph with a spin rate of 2467 rpm. Freeland caught the ball while airborne and touched the base with his right leg to complete the out. White's batted ball had an exit velocity of 64.9 mph, a launch angle of -24 degrees, and traveled only 7 feet, indicating a weak ground ball or pop-up that Freeland was able to handle defensively.

The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Alex Freeland to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Freeland had served as the Dodgers' primary second baseman during the 2026 season but produced underwhelming results, posting a .235/.309/.337 slash line with an elevated 28.6 percent strikeout rate.

The move comes with the return of Mookie Betts from the injured list following an oblique injury. The Dodgers plan to address the second base position by moving Hyeseong Kim from shortstop to second base. Freeland will continue to receive regular playing time at Oklahoma City as he works to improve his performance in Triple-A.