MLB: Injured Stars creating tough decisions for teams

Clayton Kershaw

The Injury and setback:

Clayton Kershaw was placed on the DL on June 30 with a mild disc herniation. Kershaw had been rehabbing for the past week but was shut down on Tuesday for an indefinite amount of time.

Kershaw threw a 60-pitch simulated game on Tuesday and didn’t feel great afterwards. Manager Dave Roberts announced that they’d be cautious with him before they moved forward with his rehab process. It was announced just this afternoon that he may need surgery, but they are optimistic he can return in 2016.

Kershaw was the best pitcher in the majors before suffering his injury. He had the best ERA, WHIP, and WAR in the bigs, fourth most strikeouts, and just nine walks.

How it impacts the team:

Kershaw, obviously, is the best pitcher on the Dodgers. Losing him is a huge step back for a team competing for October. They also lost Hyun-jin Ryu to the DL on Tuesday. They will now have to rely on a staff that consists of Bud Norris, Julio Urias, Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir, and Brandon McCarthy.

Kazmir hasn’t been as good as the Dodgers had hoped, McCarthy has only appeared in three games this season, Urias hasn’t gotten past the sixth yet, and Norris is still questionable as a reliable starter.

Possible Decisions:

The Dodgers rank fourth in the MLB in ERA, and haven’t had too many issues with pitching besides injuries. However, the rotation sits on the older side, and acquiring another young pitcher could help.

President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman still has plenty of ties with his former club who is stocked with young, talented arms. It’s been rumored that either Chris Archer, Matt Moore, or Jake Odorizzi could be traded before the deadline.

What they should do:

Friedman should call up his old buddies and try to make a deal. Adding a young, club controllable starter can only help a contender.

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