Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman revealed Thursday that his 3-year-old son has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Freeman, who has been sidelined by the Dodgers and placed on the family emergency list, shared the update with his wife, Chelsea, in an Instagram post. His son, Maximus, has been in and out of the hospital in recent weeks.
“These have been the most difficult and scary days of our lives,” the couple wrote on Instagram. “Maximus is a very special little boy and has been fighting SO hard. It will be a difficult journey to recover, but we have faith that he will heal completely.”
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, According to the Mayo ClinicIt can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis, which is what the Freemans said happened to Max last week. There is no cure for the disease, but most people make a full recovery.
Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup last Friday before their matchup with the Astros in Houston. He flew back home to Southern California to be with his family and was placed on the family emergency list by the team a few days later. He has not played since.
Maximus has been in and out of the hospital in recent weeks. Chelsea said he first had the viral infection last month near the All-Star Game. Freeman was also seen running out of the Dodgers’ locker room after a game last week after Maximus was rushed to the hospital.
“When your son is going through a tough time, it’s hard to be there, and rightfully so,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last week when Freeman first left the team. “He’s certainly had a lot of grief over the last few days and I just pray that Max makes a good and 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 homers with 67 RBIs in 104 games. The Dodgers currently have a 63-46 record, giving them a 4.5-game lead in the National League West standings. They will open a three-game series on the road with the Oakland Athletics on Friday.