Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was placed on the family emergency list last weekend, revealed Thursday that his 3-year-old son, Maximus, is suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
Freeman, who has missed the Dodgers' past four games, updated his son's condition in a joint statement with his wife, Chelsea, on Instagram.
"These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives," the Freemans said in the post. "Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed."
The Freemans said Maximus has shown significant improvement in the past 48 hours and was "excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator" on Wednesday.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves. It can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis. There is no known cure, but most people recover completely, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Chelsea Freeman wrote last week that Maximus has transient synovitis, a temporary condition that causes hip inflammation and typically occurs in young boys. She said Maximus first had a viral infection two weeks ago when the family was in Arlington, Texas, for the All-Star Game.
Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers' starting lineup last Friday against the Houston Astros and returned to Los Angeles. In their post Thursday, the Freemans said Maximus had "rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis" that day, forcing Freeman to rush back home.
An eight-time All-Star, Freeman is hitting .288 with 16 homers, 67 RBIs and a .888 OPS. Cavan Biggio and Enrique Hernandez have gotten time at first base in Freeman's absence.