Freddie Freeman’s 3-year-old son, Maximus, is battling a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome, Freeman and his wife announced Thursday on Instagram.
The Instagram post, which was written by Chelsea Freeman, said there “is going to be a journey to recover,” but that the family has “faith that he will be completely healed.”
Freeman has missed the Dodgers’ last five games while on the family emergency list. He left the team before a series in Houston last Friday to be with his family in Southern California.
On that Friday, the post said, Maximus was taken to the hospital after his condition “rapidly declined.” The boy had been in the hospital earlier last week, according to an Instagram post from Chelsea.
Thursday’s post said tests determined that Maximus is battling a “severe” case of Guillain-Barré syndrome, but that the family has “been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barré syndrome is a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
“These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives,” the Freemans’ post said. “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard.”
It is unclear when Freeman might rejoin the Dodgers, who next play Friday night in Oakland.
Manager Dave Roberts has stated that Freeman has the organization’s support, and said Tuesday that “I haven’t even broached that subject of him coming back. I just don’t feel it’s right.”
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes echoed that message Thursday, saying the team is giving Freeman “as long as he needs.”
