First baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched from Game 4 as the Los Angeles Dodgers try to avoid elimination in their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres. Freeman was lifted for a pinch-runner in Game 3 on Tuesday after he limped to first on an eighth-inning single.

Two days ago, Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla approached Dylan Cease about the prospect of pitching a potential decisive Game 4 on short rest. A shorter start in Game 1 was one factor. So was Cease’s conviction,

"The thought is he's going to play (Tuesday)," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday. "If he can't, then he won't." There was no obvious play in which Freeman aggravated the ankle injury in Game 2 on Sunday.