Dodgers Denied One Request of Fan Who Caught Rookie's First Career Home Run: Report

In a series that the Los Angeles Dodgers have had trouble producing many runs, rookie infielder Alex Freeland not only produced the sole run against the San Diego Padres Friday night, but launched his first career home run.

The fan who ended up with the ball, however, knew that this was no ordinary souvenir. Since he caught the rookie's first career home run, he figured he could drive up the bargain to return it to the team.

He would be wrong.

Dodgers fans Eric Saldana and Alex Espinoza were sitting in the Petco Park bleachers ahead of Freeland's inaugural bomb, and although he was preoccupied, Saldana told the San Deigo Union-Tribue's Kirk Kenney how he ended up with the ball.

“I was on my phone,” Saldana said. “Then I looked up and I’m like, ‘Yo, the ball’s coming.’ I stuck my arm out. It bounced off the dude to my right, and then it comes back to me.”

Kenney reported that this was the lucky fan's first ever ball received at a game, fair or foul. Unfortunately, this is where his luck would stop.

“I asked for a (signed Shohei) Ohtani ball,” said Saldana. “They said no.”

Now Saldana didn't go home empty handed, by any means. He left Petco Park with a signed ball from Freeland himself, along with a signed bat.

“Whatever,” Saldana said. “It’s not a bad deal. The bat looks super nice, unused, like it’s straight from the store.”

Freeland would make another souvenir the very next day, collecting his second career home run. This also came at a time when the Dodgers were in dire need of any offense, scoring just two runs (both of Freeland's homers) on five total hits going into the series finale on Sunday.

The rookie is also emerging in a time where depth has never been more of a pressing issue on the team.

Freeland is batting .262 with an OPS + of 117, ranking him 17 percent better than league average across the first 21 games of his MLB career. The hope is that Freeland can keep producing down the stretch, and with no guarantees regarding player availability leading into October, perhaps he can add some postseason baseball to his resume.

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