Los Angeles Dodgers ace lefty Clayton Kershaw is working his way back from a back injury that forced him to the disabled list. On Sunday, Kershaw took the first step toward returning to the mound.
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list on June 30, with a herniated disk in his back. The six-time NL All Star and three-time NL Cy Young winner has not pitched in a game since, as the Dodgers have lost pace in the NL West with the San Francisco Giants.
On Sunday, Kershaw was able to throw a bullpen session, in what was his first step in progressing toward taking his place atop the Dodgers’ rotation. Kershaw said the session was, “All good,” according to MLB.com. Kershaw and the Dodgers played it safe in this first session, with the lefty throwing approximately 25 pitches.
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While Kershaw’s bullpen went well by all accounts, the Dodgers will not be rushing things. With the arrival of the All Star break, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts updated the team’s plan for the post-All Star break rotation.
“No Kershaw,” Roberts told MLB.com. Instead, the first time through the rotation after the break will consist of Bud Norris, Brandon McCarthy, Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir, and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
All the while, though, Kershaw will be working his way back. Sunday’s bullpen was a start, but he reportedly plans to throw another bullpen session in San Diego during the All Star break. Kershaw is one of many players who were selected to the All Star game, but cannot compete due to injury.
If all goes well, Kershaw could be set to return by later this month. The Dodgers would certainly welcome a healthy Kershaw back with open arms. The Dodgers haven’t played bad in the first half, but the Giants continue to hold the best record in all of baseball. With Sunday’s 3-1 victory at home over the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers improved to 51-40 to end the first half of the 2016 season.
The NL West will come down to the Giants and Dodgers, as the two California rivals are the only teams in the NL West above .500. The Dodgers have reportedly been interested in acquiring more pitching, even after acquiring Bud Norris, and that is where Kershaw’s impending return becomes interesting. If Kershaw returns in late July, he will have missed about a month. In a way, his return could act as a major acquisition for Los Angeles. That’s not to say the Dodgers won’t actively look for pitching, but Kershaw’s eventual return will definitely give the Dodgers a boost.
Before being injured, Kershaw was having another terrific Kershaw-type season, and was deservingly named an All Star. He is 11-2 on the season in 16 starts. He has an ERA of 1.79, and has thrown three shutouts. His WHiP, 0.73, is the lowest of his career to this point. Of the 441 batters Kershaw has faced in 2016, he has given up just 77 hits. Hitters are batting just .184 off of Kershaw this season.