LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers announced on Thursday that star first baseman Freddie Freeman underwent surgery on his right ankle, consisting of debridement and the removal of loose bodies.

Freeman’s surgery was performed by Dr. Kenneth Jung at Kerlan Jobe in Los Angeles, the club said. Most importantly, the Dodgers fully expect Freeman to be able to participate in baseball activities when the team reports to Spring Training in early February.

Freeman first suffered the injury after an awkward step down the first-base line on Sept. 25. The injury forced Freeman to miss the last three games of the regular season. For a while, it appeared the injury was going to keep Freeman out of the Dodgers’ lineup to start the postseason, but he fought his way into the top of the order.

The Dodgers’ first baseman was badly hobbled for the first two rounds of the postseason, even sitting out a pair of games after reaggravating the injury. With the break between the NLCS and the World Series, however, Freeman utilized those six days off to get healthier.

He wasted no time showing off his improved health, delivering the historic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 against the Yankees. Freeman then went on to homer in the first four games of the Fall Classic en route to his first World Series Most Valuable Player Award.

Throughout his career, Freeman has made his mark as the ultimate competitor. Freeman strives to play in 162 games every season. Due to injury and the health of his younger son, Freeman was forced to miss 15 games in 2024. Prior to that, Freeman played in at least 159 games from 2021-23.

Even after undergoing surgery, the expectation is for Freeman to be atop the Dodgers’ lineup for the majority -- if not all -- of their games as they aim to repeat as World Series champions.

Freeman became the latest prominent Dodgers player to undergo offseason surgery, joining Shohei Ohtani, who had surgery on his left shoulder after suffering an injury during Game 2 of the World Series.