Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw will begin a rehab task on Wednesday. Supervisor Dave Roberts not too long ago handed the information alongside to reporters, together with Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Instances. That can kick off a 30-day rehab window, which is able to take him the vast majority of the way in which to Might 17, when he’s eligible to return off the 60-day injured checklist.
Kershaw, 37, was as soon as a workhorse however his well being has develop into extra of a recurring problem in latest seasons. He hasn’t thrown greater than 132 innings in a season since 2019. He solely obtained to 30 frames final 12 months. He began the 2024 season on the injured checklist recovering from shoulder surgical procedure. He ultimately made it again to the mound however his season was completed by surgical procedures on his toe and knee, to restore a ruptured plantar plate and a torn meniscus.
He was moved to the 60-day IL fairly shortly in 2025 however the timeline is somewhat bit totally different for him as a result of Dodgers’ schedule. They began their common season in the course of March with the Tokyo Sequence and Kershaw landed on the IL at the moment. A participant beginning the season on the 60-day IL would usually be out till late Might however that early begin provides Kershaw an opportunity to return again a bit faster.
What to anticipate from Kershaw at this level is anybody’s guess. Whereas he averaged round 95 miles per hour on his fastball at his peak, he’s been down nearer to 90 mph in latest seasons. He has nonetheless managed to place up some first rate numbers regardless of that, with a 2.46 ERA in 2023. Although he was clearly strolling a tightrope after which obtained pummeled by the Diamondbacks within the playoffs. He had a 4.50 ERA in his restricted work final 12 months. With extra surgical work on his monitor report, will that push these tendencies even additional, or may he maybe flip again the clock a bit with some well being?
At any time when Kershaw does return, it’s attainable the Dodgers must make some powerful choices about their rotation. At the moment, they’ve Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin Might and Landon Knack in there. Blake Snell not too long ago landed on the IL with some shoulder irritation but it surely seems to be a reasonably minor problem and he is perhaps again quickly. Tony Gonsolin can also be on the IL on account of again tightness however he’s already rehabbing, having thrown 3 1/3 innings in his most up-to-date outing. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, who’s working because the membership’s designated hitter but additionally throwing bullpens on the aspect as he tries to return to the mound.
As Kershaw, Snell, Gonsolin and Ohtani get again into the combo, the squeeze is perhaps on. Everybody within the group has some sort of well being or workload concern, so it will be silly to anticipate all of them to be wholesome on the similar time. Additionally, Yamamoto and Sasaki are being stored on weekly schedules, as is extra frequent in Japan. That might go away the membership some wiggle room to run a six-man rotation, relying on the off-days within the schedule, however somebody additionally may get ran into an extended aid function. Knack, Sasaki and Gonsolin are the one pitchers talked about right here with choices, although Gonsolin will hit 5 years of service time this week, at which level he must consent to any optionally available task.
Picture courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Photos
