LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman apparently avoided serious injury Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors' dugout while trying to catch a foul popup in the eighth inning.
Freeman isn't sure whether he'll play when the Dodgers begin an important four-game series with the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, but he's grateful his freefall to the dugout floor wasn't worse.
“I didn't hit my head, so that was the key part there,” Freeman said. “I am sore. Kneecaps are sore. Shoulder is sore. Hand sore. Wrist sore. I mean, I fell. (But) I'm in good spirits.”
Freeman stayed in the game and finished the top of the eighth, but Tommy Edman pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles closed out a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, its fourth in five games.
The right side of Freeman's body took the punishment, but the 2024 World Series MVP apparently didn't break any bones. He'll wait to see how he feels in the morning before he decides whether to play Thursday night when the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers welcome Milwaukee in a reamtch of last year's National League Championship Series.
Freeman said he simply miscalculated the location of the dugout railing while he tracked Isaac Collins' foul pop.
“I went to lean, like I was going to lean against the rail to catch the ball — and obviously there was no rail,” Freeman said with a smile.
Freeman, who turns 37 in one month, said he was fortunate to fall all the way into the dugout, missing the top flight of stairs entirely. That's because when he landed, his head stuck out into the open space above the second flight of stairs that goes down into the visitors' clubhouse instead of banging on the ground.
“Luckily, I was tall, so I missed everything else,” the 6-foot-4 Freeman cracked.
This wasn’t Freeman’s first fielding misadventure: He said he fell into the seats in Arizona roughly a decade ago while he was with the Atlanta Braves.
The Orange County native and childhood Angels fan also said he still remembers the infamous 1999 opening-day dugout fall by Mo Vaughn, who got hurt on the first play of his first game with the Halos.
The Royals rushed to Freeman's side after the fall, urging him to stay on the ground. Freeman decided to get up anyway, and the Dodgers' training staff rushed across the field to check on him.
“I think that we really dodged a bullet,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “Very scary visually. For right now, he's in good spirits, which I think is a good sign. Just kind of total body soreness.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman leaves the baseball game after falling into the visitors dugout while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Isaac Collins in the eighth inning, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, center, walks back on to the field accompanied by manager Dave Roberts, right, and trainer Greg Barajas after he fell into the dugout while trying to catch a foul ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Isaac Collins during the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
DARWIN, Australia (AP) — Hasan Mahmud took a career-best haul of 6-55 to help bowl out Australia for 198 on the opening day of the Top End test cricket series against Australia.
Hasan struck in his sixth and seventh overs to remove openers Jake Weatherald (23) and Travis Head (22) on Thursday after Australia had won the toss and raced to 45 without loss on a green-tinged wicket in the tropical far northern Australian city of Darwin.
From there, pacemen Hasan, Taskin Ahmed (2-55) and Ebadot Hossain (2-39) dominated the first two sessions, bowling with discipline to exploiting the conditions and get on top of a batting lineup that was held together primarily by Steve Smith's defiant 71.
Smith was the next-to-last wicket to fall, advancing at Hasan and top-edging a high catch to wicketkeeper Litton Das to end a 109-ball innings that contained seven boundaries and a six.
The day started positively for the hosts, with skipper Pat Cummins winning the toss and electing to bat. Playing just his second test in 13 months, he reunited in the pace attack with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The frontline quicks will be supported by veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon and allrounders Green and Beau Webster.
A partisan crowd was in full support of Darwin-born Weatherald but he was never really settled and needlessly swiped at a widish ball from Hasan.
Head was out in Hasan's next over, chopping on a delivery that was bowled from around the wicket as Australia slipped to 52-2.
Ebadot had Marnus Labuschagne (1) caught by Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and could have had the wicket of Smith but for a dropped chance at third slip.
Allrounder Green (13) was out immediately before lunch as Bangladesh took a full toll on the opening morning of its first test match in Australia since 2003, restricting the hosts to 74-4.
Ebadot dismissed Alex Carey (19) after lunch and Taskin bowled Webster (12) before Cummins (9) and Starc (1) both nicked off to Hasan before the tea interval.
The wicket of Smith then gave Hasan his third five-wicket haul in test cricket and the Bangladeshi bowler picked up last-man Lyon (7) to end the Australian innings in 53 overs.
The two-test “Top End” series starts a heavy 12-month schedule for the Australians that will feature 20 test matches, including tours to South Africa, India and England.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Steve Smith, right, watches the ball after playing a shot against Bangladesh during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud, center, is congratulated by teammates after taking the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Australia's Travis Head bats against Bangladesh during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed bowls to Australia during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud, second left, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Australia's Travis Head during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Bangladesh's Ebadot Hossain, left, celebrates the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne from Australia during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Australia's Travis Head, right, walks off as Bangladesh players celebrates his wicket during their cricket test match in Darwin, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
