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Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch during Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs but came away without structural damage — X-rays on his hand came back negative, per Dodger Blue. That’s the silver lining from an otherwise rough night that extended the Dodgers’ losing streak to six games, including being swept for the second consecutive series.

Freeman getting plunked and staying in the game (or at least avoiding a trip to the injured list) is the kind of break this team desperately needs right now. The 36-year-old first baseman has been one of the few constants in this lineup all season. Since arriving in Los Angeles ahead of the 2022 campaign, Freeman has been the heartbeat of this offense — a former MVP with Atlanta who immediately proved his worth by helping lead the Dodgers to the 2024 World Series title. Any significant hand injury to a left-handed hitter who relies on bat control and consistency would have been a devastating blow, especially with the club already navigating a pitching staff held together by duct tape and hope.

The loss itself stung. The Dodgers mounted a five-run rally in the eighth inning to claw back into a game that had gotten away from them, but ultimately fell one run short at 7-6. That kind of late push shows the lineup isn’t dead — there’s fight in this group — but it’s cold comfort when the final result is another L. Six straight losses is the longest skid we’ve endured in a while, and the timing couldn’t be worse with the trade deadline just passed and reinforcements like Tarik Skubal only recently integrated into the rotation.

The good news is Freeman appears fine. The bad news is everything else. We’re watching a team that just went out and acquired the best pitcher available at the deadline, and yet the losing continues. That’s not on any one player — it’s a collective funk. The offense has been inconsistent, the pitching depth beyond the top of the rotation remains thin, and the defense hasn’t done anyone any favors during this stretch.

For now, the Freeman scare is just that — a scare. He should be in the lineup for the next series, and this team needs him there. When you’re losing like this, the last thing you can afford is your best everyday hitter missing time. I’ll be watching to see if there’s any lingering soreness, but negative X-rays are about as clean a result as you can hope for after taking a pitch off the hand. The Dodgers need to snap out of this skid quickly, and having Freeman healthy is step one.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: August 6, 2026 1:02 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers