WASHINGTON -- Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday he anticipates first baseman Freddie Freeman will return to the lineup Friday when the team begins a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Freeman took live batting practice the last few days. He was placed on the injured list retroactive to March 31 after spraining his surgically repaired right ankle when he slipped in the shower at home.

"Just looking at his gait running yesterday, I would say that it's better than it was when he started the season," Roberts said. "I saw him do some lateral stuff, but that's probably a better question for Freddie."

Freeman is 3-for-12 with two homers and four RBI in three games this season. He missed the Dodgers' opening series in Tokyo against the Cubs with left rib discomfort, and then sat out last week's series against Atlanta before going on the IL.

He sprained the same ankle last September, then struggled in Los Angeles' first two playoff series before earning World Series MVP honors while hitting four home runs in five games against the New York Yankees. He underwent debridement surgery in December to remove loose bodies in the ankle.