Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman revealed Thursday that his 3-year-old son had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Freeman, who has been away from the Dodgers and been placed on the family emergency list, shared the update with his wife, Chelsea, in an Instagram post. Their son, Maximus, has been in and out of the hospital in recent weeks.
“These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives,” the couple wrote on Instagram, in part. “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed.”
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis — which is what the Freeman’s said happened to Max last week. There is no cure for the disease, but most people completely recover.
Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup late last Friday ahead of their matchup with the Astros in Houston. He flew back home to Southern California to be with his family, and the team put him on the family emergency list a few days later. He hasn’t played since.
Maximus has been in and out of the hospital in recent weeks. Chelsea said that he first had a viral infection last month around the All-Star Game. Freeman was seen sprinting out of the Dodgers’ clubhouse after a game last week, too, after Maximus was rushed to the hospital.
“When your child is going through things it’s just hard to be present, and rightfully so,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last week when Freeman first left the team. “He certainly had a heavy heart the last few days, and I just pray that Max is going to recover well and have a full recovery.”
It’s unclear when Freeman will rejoin the Dodgers.
Freeman is in his third season with the Dodgers this summer. The eight-time All-Star is batting .288 and has 16 home runs with 67 RBI in 104 games. The Dodgers currently hold a 63-46 record, which is good for a 4.5-game lead in the NL West standings. They will open a three-game road series with the Oakland A’s on Friday.
