🚨BREAKING NEWS: Dodgers stars Will Smith and Freddie Freeman are locked in the middle of the NL batting race! ⚾🔥 Can they bring the crown back to Los Angeles?

DENVER — While teams battle for playoff spots down the stretch, another race is shaping up.

Going into Thursday’s games, four hitters in the National League were within two points of the lead for the batting title – Dodgers catcher Will Smith (.304), Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (.303), Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (.302) and Miami Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards (.302).

When the afternoon games ended, Smith, Turner and Freeman were in a tie at .303.

“Don’t do that to me. I’m not playing that game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when asked to pick a favorite. “I think it’s good to have both our guys in there and I think it’ll make them both better. If they say that they’re not aware of it, they’re not telling the truth.”

Freeman is certainly aware of it – though he says he doesn’t give any thought to individual achievements during the season.

“The only thing I’ll say about it is if you’re talking about a batting title with me, that means I had a good year. That puts a smile on my face,” Freeman said.

Freeman did not have the look of a potential batting champ – or much to smile about – as he suffered through a six-week slump, the longest of his career. Since July 21, though, he has hit .333, rising up the ranks to third in the National League.

“That makes me smile because it means I grinded through it and even when I didn’t feel good I was still able to be on the field and maybe throw some hits out there,” Freeman said. “That’s how I look at it. If you’re talking to me about a batting title at the end of August, that means I had a good year.”

Freeman gained 10 points on his average since July 21 while Smith lost 19, batting .236 in that time. Turner has been the fastest riser. The 2021 NL batting champ when he split the season between the Washington Nationals and Dodgers, he has gained 21 points in just 10 games before Thursday, going 24 for 46 including a five-hit game on Wednesday.

Freeman has been through this before. He finished among the NL’s top 10 batting averages six times in his first 15 seasons including three third-place finishes (2013, 2018 and 2023) and two seconds – 2020 when he won the NL MVP with Atlanta and 2022 when two more hits would have pushed him past the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil.

“Have I been close? Yes. Would it be cool to win one? Obviously it would be very cool to win one,” Freeman said. “But if you don’t win one, that doesn’t take away from a good year you had.

“I’m not trying to win batting titles. I’m just trying to be myself. I’m just trying to have a good year.

“Would I love to win one? Yes, I would love to win one. Everyone in here would love to win one.”

The quartet at the top have another distinction – they are the only .300 hitters in the National League (with enough at-bats to qualify for a batting title).

“Because this game is hard,” Freeman said when asked to explain the paucity of .300 hitters. “Everyone throws 95-plus. You’re trying to cover four different pitches. It’s hard. The fielders are in spots where they know you might not hit it there but more than likely you’re going to hit it there more often. And guys are covering more ground. They’re more athletic. It’s just such a hard game.”

LATE SHO

Shohei Ohtani was not in the lineup on Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s game early when he was hit in the right thigh by a line drive while pitching. Roberts had already decided before that to give Ohtani the day off on Thursday, only the third game this year he has missed (the other two came when he was on paternity leave).

“I told him to sleep in, show up late,” Roberts said.

“My thought is he’s still going to be sore. But I expect him in the lineup tomorrow (in San Diego).”

REHAB ROUNDUP

Relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates will join the Dodgers in San Diego and come off the injured list. Scott will be activated on Friday, Yates on Saturday.

Pitcher Roki Sasaki, utility man Kiké Hernandez and reliever Michael Kopech all played for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Sasaki made the second start of his rehab assignment and pitched into the fourth inning. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three singles and three walks in 3⅓ innings. He stuck out two, threw 60 pitches (39 strikes) and showed increased velocity.

“It was certainly better than his first one,” Roberts said. “I think the confidence in getting hitters out, and the stuff’s playing up. After next week, we’ll have a better idea where we’re at on the big league side and where he’s at.”

Sasaki’s fastball was 93 to 95 mph during his first rehab start. He hit 97 mph this time, but Roberts said the Dodgers are expecting more.

“I think it needs to keep trending up. But this is his second rehab assignment,” Roberts said. “I think he was (9)4 to (9)7, which is really good, and then another uptick which is our expectation, that should play here. But yeah, we’ve still got to build him up and he’s still got to perform.”

Hernandez was 2 for 3 with a single, a double, a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout as DH. He has been out since July 5 with a left elbow injury but could rejoin the Dodgers next week.

Kopech made his third rehab appearance and pitched a scoreless inning despite allowing a double and walking two batters. He is not eligible to come off the 60-day injured list until next Thursday.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, third baseman Max Muncy has begun taking swings and hitting off a tee. Muncy suffered a mild oblique strain last week but is “trending in the right direction,” Roberts said.

Utility man Tommy Edman has been doing straight-line running and could start running the curve of the infield soon to test his injured right ankle. He is not expected to return until “sometime in early September.”

ALSO

One day after adding him to the active roster and getting two innings of relief from him, the Dodgers sent right-hander Paul Gervase back to OKC and recalled right-hander Matt Sauer.