Welcome to the Dodgers, Mike Freeman!

Nearly a month after being picked up by the Dodgers on the waiver wire from Seattle, versatile infielder/outfielder Mike Freeman was recalled to Los Angeles to fill a void created when outfielder Franklin Gutierrez was placed on the 10-day disabled list with an episode of ankylosis spondylitis. Mike Freeman will wear #37 for the Dodgers.

As you know, he came into yesterdays game as a pinch-hitter for reliever Luis Avilan in the fourth inning, and subsequently grounded out to short during the eight pitch at-bat.

On a side note, Freeman is old friends with Dodger pitcher Brock Stewart. Per Jacob Unruh at NewsOK:

“It is just one of the small-world things,” Freeman said. “I said, ‘Brock, this is crazy. Me and your brother were roommates like 10 years ago and now were are roommates on the road.' It's funny how this game came full circle.” 

Freeman, 29, has remained close friends with Luke Stewart, who is now the assistant hitting coach at Northern Illinois. 

That allowed him to track Brock's career path. They ran into each other last season when Freeman was part of Triple-A Reno. They exchanged numbers and kept in touch as both made the big leagues. 

They never planned on being teammates. 

“It's cool,” Stewart said. “I've known Mike probably longer than anybody else I've known on the team.”

Per a Dodger press release:

Freeman, 29, will make his first stint with the Dodgers after being claimed by the club on May 26 from the Seattle Mariners. In 20 games with the Oklahoma City Dodgers this season, Freeman has hit .295 (18-for-61) with 11 runs, two doubles, a triple, four RBI and three stolen bases. He has also appeared in 16 games with the Mariners this season, going 2-for-30 with three runs and slugged his first career big league home run on April 12 against the Astros. He has appeared in three games (two starts) at first base, three games (two starts) at second base and two starts at third base with Seattle.

The Orlando, Florida native was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson University. Freeman has appeared in 37 Major League games in two seasons with the Diamondbacks (2016) and the Mariners (2016-17), batting .135 with one home run and two RBI and has a .292 career batting average with a .363 on-base percentage, 132 steals, 19 home runs and 279 RBI's in 757 minor league games.

In honor of Freeman joining the Dodgers on Sunday I made the above two fantasy Baseball cards for him.  I used both the 1985 Donruss and 1982 Fleer Baseball card designs with a pics taken by Jim Beckel at The Oklahoman.

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