Dodgers' Freeman out with knee soreness as Ohtani returns to hitting

Freddie Freeman did not play for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Cincinnati Reds due to right knee soreness. Manager Dave Roberts ruled out placing Freeman on the injured list, indicating management of the knee is crucial for postseason readiness. Freeman's recent performance shows he is batting.293 but has struggled with only three hits in his last 30 at-bats. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani, who has been on the injured list with biceps inflammation, will begin swinging a bat again. The Dodgers aim to secure a top two seed for the playoffs, currently holding a 3.5-game lead over Atlanta for that spot. Meanwhile, Edwin Díaz is dealing with performance issues in his rehab outings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, raising concerns about his postseason inclusion.

• 4:49 PMYahoo Sports — Freddie Freeman’s knee, Shohei Ohtani’s bat, and the Dodgers’ October calculus