Braves' Freddie Freeman Undergoes Surgery After Experiencing Elbow Issues at End of Season

After their disappointing expulsion in the NLDS, the Atlanta Braves have already turned their eyes toward preparing for the 2020 season, namely by trying to get healthy again. This news might come as a surprise to some, however.

All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery to remove three loose bodies and tidy up bone spurs to start the offseason. The standout slugger had been experiencing elbow issues in the waning weeks of the Braves' season.

The #Braves announce first baseman Freddie Freeman underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery on Wednesday of this week. They removed three fragmented loose bodies and cleaned up multiple bone spur formations. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
— Kelsey Wingert (@KelsWingert) October 18, 2019

There was plenty of cause for concern toward the end of the year as Freeman continued to push through the pain. In the month of September, he managed just a .754 OPS, well below his .938 mark for the year. In the playoffs, he batted just .200, causing many to wonder if his efforts were both fruitless and jeopardizing his own future.

Now we know extent of what Freddie Freeman played through: #Braves 1B had not 1 but 3 “fragmented loose bodies” removed & multiple bone-spur formations cleaned up via arthroscopic elbow surgery Wednesday by Dr. Altchek in NYC, team said. Expected to be ready for spring training.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 18, 2019

Fortunately for Atlanta, the latter concern seems to have been unfounded, as he's expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training. Freeman has been a vital part of the Braves' dominant offensive core, particularly in recent years.

The four-time All-Star has done nothing but rake since the start of the 2016 season, slashing .303/.394/.549 with 123 home runs and 381 runs batted in across 595 games. He's received MVP votes in both 2016 and 2018 and will surely get some more this year.

Freddie Freeman: "We had a really good team...team good enough to go all the way. I didn't come through. This one's on me." #Braves
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) October 10, 2019

It's unfortunate that he needed the surgery, but he at least got it out of the way before the 2019 season even officially ended. Now he can put his focus on getting healthy again this offseason and doing his best to help put the Braves back in position to make a run at the World Series next year.