Braves' Freddie Freeman 'Feeling Great' After COVID-19, Wife Chelsea Says

Chelsea Freeman, the wife of Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, said Thursday her husband is "feeling great" after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in early July.

She posted the update on her Instagram story (via Justin Felder of Fox 5 Atlanta):

Freeman tested negative during his intake exam as the Braves restarted camp, which was halted in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, but developed symptoms and tested positive after being involved in team workouts, per David O'Brien of The Athletic.

Atlanta teammates Pete Kozma, Will Smith and Touki Toussaint also tested positive. Outfielder Nick Markakis and starting pitcher Felix Hernandez have opted out of the season.

Freeman's wife previously updated his status July 4 on Instagram.

"He has had body aches, headaches, chills and a fever. He is someone who rarely gets sick and this virus hit him like a ton of bricks," Chelsea wrote. "We appreciate all the messages and prayers, please keep them coming for healing and protection for the rest of our family. Please take this virus seriously, wear a mask when in public and wash your hands frequently."

His status for the start of the shortened 60-game regular season remains uncertain. The Braves are scheduled to open the campaign next Friday with a three-game road series against the New York Mets.

Freeman is coming off a strong 2019 season. He posted a .295/.389/.549 triple-slash line with career-high totals in home runs (38), runs batted in (121) and runs scored (113).

The 30-year-old California native has earned four All-Star selections across 10 seasons.

Atlanta is likely to use a committee approach at first base should Freeman miss the start of the season. Yonder Alonso, Austin Riley, Charlie Culberson and Adam Duvall are among the players who could see starts depending on the length of the absence.

The Braves still have a strong offensive core, led by Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna, but the lineup's upside would be severely limited without Freeman.

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Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.