CAMELBACK RANCH, AZ — The slow rollout of key players continued on Tuesday at the Dodgers facility in their fourth spring training game, this one against the Cleveland Guardians. This time, two major debuts: pitcher Gavin Stone, returning from shoulder surgery that cost him all of 2025, and Freddie Freeman, who entered his first Spring Training with no injuries to worry about. Both players looked very good in their returns as the Dodgers beat the Guards by a score of 11-3.
First Stone. It couldn’t have gone any better for the 27-year-old righthander. His fastball had some pop and his trademark changeup was as nasty as you remembered it back in the first half of 2024 He started off getting Nolan Jones to hit a harmless flyball to Teoscar Hernandez in left (so good to see him back over there). Then, he really dialed in. He finished his one-inning outing with back-to-back strikeouts of Juan Brito and Kyle Manzardo. Now, it wasn’t exactly a Murderers’ Row he faced, but the results were fantastic: 1.0 IP (15 pitches, 11 for strikes) 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Very encouraging.
“That was awesome,” Stone said after leaving the game. “Considering the whole rehab process, how long it took, the surgery that I had. It was amazing to get back out there and do what I love doing.”
Freddie Freeman popped out in the first, but in the Dodgers’ five-run third, he came up big. He hit a patented Freddie Freeman double to left centerfield that scored a pair of runs, and really started the rout in this one. That was the end of his day, but it was a good start. Freeman plans to play only in games at the Camelback Ranch facility this spring, so most of his work will be done in backfield scrimmages. He’s hoping to get about 50 at-bats or so this year, and with no WBC to distract him, he shouldn’t have much problem accomplishing that.
As for the other regulars, how about Andy Pages, driving in two more runs with a sacrifice fly and a double of his own. Kyle Tucker walked twice and scored twice, but still is looking for his first hit of the spring. Teoscar Hernandez’s blazing start continues. He went 2-for-2 and raised his Cactus League average to .714. Will Smith got one hit, and Miguel Rojas went 2-for-3 hitting in the leadoff spot.
Pitching-wise, the only blemish was a three-run bomb surrendered by Edgardo Henriquez that gave the Guardians a short-lived 3-2 lead. The other pitchers (Stone, Justin Wrobleski, Ryder Ryan (not River), Paul Gervase, Antoine Kelly, Wyatt Mills, Nicolas Cruz, and Roque Gutierrez all pitched scoreless frames, limiting the Guards to just six hits.
So more good news coming out of the desert today. Let’s keep it going. Tomorrow, it will be another NL West rival, this time the Arizona Diamondbacks at their facility in Talking Stick, AZ. This will be a great pitching matchup (for as long as it lasts, anyway) Zac Gallen for the D-backs and it will be Dodger fans first look at Roki Sasaki back in a starting role. Let’s home Sasaki-san can build on that great run during last year’s playoffs and recapture that dominant form that he displayed in Japan. First pitch will be 12:10 PST. See you there!
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