Star first baseman felt discomfort in the same area on his left side where he suffered torn rib cartilage on the eve of the playoffs last fall.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is confident that the rib injury that kept him out of his team's regular-season opener against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday was not as bad as it was last fall.

Freddie Freeman was initially listed in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Opening Day lineup in Tokyo, Japan. But the eight-time All-Star first baseman was scratched from the starting lineup less than an hour before first pitch as he dealt with left rib discomfort.