Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, are expecting their fourth child via surrogate.
The baseballer, 36, and Chelsea, 34, shared a joint Instagram post on Sunday, February 22, that confirmed the exciting news. âWorth the wait. Baby #4 is on the way and our hearts are already so full,â the post read. âWe are incredibly grateful for the amazing woman helping bring our baby into our lives, and weâre choosing to honor her privacy as we walk this chapter.â
The couple, who share three sons, Charlie, born in 2016, Brandon, born in 2020, and Maximus, born in 2021, then playfully asked their social media fans, âWhat do you think⊠brother or sister?â The caption accompanied a family photo that saw one of their sons holding up a black-and-white sonogram image.
The news comes after Chelsea spoke to Us Weekly last year about the frightening health emergency that rocked the coupleâs family. After Maximus was rushed to hospital in July 2024 as a result of being unable to sit, stand or walk, he was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder: Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome, an autoimmune disorder where the bodyâs immune system attacks the nerves.
Chelsea, who described the situation as the most âterrifying thingâ she had been through, told Us in March 2025, âHeâs been so resilient. Itâs been amazing to see. Heâs still in [physical therapy] two times a week. It will be a full one-year recovery before heâs back to complete normal.â
She added that the family have looked for a silver lining amid the health scare. âIt obviously taught us that health is everything. It was awful. He was fully paralyzed on a ventilator. Seeing him able to play outside, itâs really a miracle for how sick he was,â she explained at the time.
The coupleâs fourth child is not the first carried via surrogacy. In 2021, ESPN reported that the Freemans âexplored fertility optionsâ after trying to fall pregnant following the birth of their eldest son. After a surrogate was arranged to carry their second child, Chelsea also became pregnant ânearly simultaneously,â per the outlet.
The athlete told the outlet at the time that the pair hoped their story would provide motivation for other hopeful parents. âEvery pregnancy and fertility journey is a little bit different for everyone ⊠I think itâs an inspirational story that we have,â he said. âWe tried for a couple of years, and it didnât happen. We were talking with doctors, and they suggested surrogacy. We jumped at that, because we wanted to be blessed with more kids.â
Chelsea added that she had hoped for a large family soon after meeting Freddie. âAs long as Iâve known him, he said that since he was a little boy, he always knew he wanted to be a dad,â she told the outlet. âAs important as being a baseball player to him is, I think being a dad is even more important.â
Of her own motherhood aspirations, she said, âIt was always my dream to have three kids by the time I was 30. When my 29th birthday came around and I still wasnât pregnant, I never thought it would be possible. I think our story is definitely a story that God always has a bigger plan. Whether a family is looking towards fostering, adoption or surrogacy, children ⊠no matter which way they come, [children] are truly a blessing for any family.â
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