Freddie Freeman ankle injury: Dodgers 1B back in lineup for NLDS Game 3

The Dodgers will use the same starting lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, including Freddie Freeman at first base, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain.

Freeman started each of the first two games at Dodger Stadium and had two hits with a stolen base in Game 1 on Saturday. Freeman started Sunday but left in the fifth inning with further ankle trouble. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Freeman felt something in his ankle when he hit a break ball from Yu Darvish in Game 2.

Roberts said Monday, the day off at Petco Park, that Freeman was still receiving treatment on his right ankle and that his status for Game 3 was uncertain. But given an injury suffered just 12 days ago and expected to take four to six weeks to heal, the team is understandably proceeding with caution.

“The thought is that he will play (Tuesday). If he can’t do it, he won’t do it,” Roberts told reporters on Monday. “Then (Martín) Pérez will obviously and possibly win Game 4 or most of it. This could be a day where we could give him an extra day.

“But here too: If he can play and post, he will be there.”

The Dodgers' lineup will have its hands full against Michael King, who posted a 3.10 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 20⅓ innings in four games against them this season. The Dodgers scored three runs against him in a big relief game in March in Seoul and hit four home runs against the eight-man on April 12 at Dodger Stadium.

But in King's last two starts against Los Angeles this year – May 10 at Petco Park and Sept. 24 at Dodger Stadium – he allowed a combined one unearned run on five hits and five walks in 12 innings and 15 strikeouts.

Walker Buehler made two starts against the Padres this year. He allowed three runs in 3⅓ innings in a loss at San Diego on May 12, when he made only his second start from the injured list, and then allowed one run in five innings in a loss in the decisive divisional final on September 26 Decision came.

Tuesday marks his 16th career postseason start, second-most in Dodgers history behind Clayton Kershaw's 32 starts. Buehler has a career 2.94 ERA in the postseason.

“The energy of our fans and their fans is something that we all kind of live for,” Buehler told reporters Monday at Petco Park. “After doing this playoff thing a few times, I think I've hopefully learned how to channel that a little bit and make it productive for itself rather than somehow detrimental.”

San Diego had the same players in the starting position as in Game 2, with only a small change to their lineup. Designated hitter David Peralta, who hit a home run Sunday, was moved up to seventh in the batting order and swapped spots with second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who is now in the eighth batting spot.