Why isn’t Freddie Freeman playing for the Dodgers against the Mets in NLCS Game 4?

The Dodgers are hoping a day of rest will help first baseman Freddie Freeman play the rest of the National League Championship Series.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Freeman was struggling at the end of Game 3 and discussed with him after the game whether he would take Thursday off.

“I contacted him last night. I called him last night just so that if we decided to give it today he would make the most of it – when he put his head on the pillow it was no, it was him.” “I won’t tomorrow be there,” Roberts said.

Although he’s not in the lineup for Game 4 at Citi Field, Freeman could be available to pinch-hit. His absence from the Game 4 lineup marks the second game the first baseman has missed this postseason.

Roberts also said Freeman was in good spirits, but the back-to-back games made the decision to rest Thursday easier.

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“And just tonight it seemed easy. Obviously he wants to be there. But him not being in the starting lineup, not running on and off the field, and being primed for a big spot tonight made a lot of sense.”

Max Muncy will initially replace Freeman, while Kiké Hernández will take Muncy’s usual spot at third base.

Andy Pages will start in midfield. Another notable name missing from Thursday’s lineup is Gavin Lux. Chris Taylor will start second in place of Lux.

Lux’s absence from the lineup is due to his hip injury and the fact that the Mets have left-hander Jose Quintana in the starting lineup. Lux has struggled against lefties all season, so his absence isn’t a huge surprise.

“I think it was a combination,” Roberts said. “He had some starts compared to left-handed pitching. Quintana was really tough on lefties in terms of how he grounded them, the strikeout rates and things like that. So that’s part of it.”

“Even with the leg, I’m just trying to give him an extra day to recover but also have him available if it gets late,” Roberts added.