The Dodgers’ pitching staff was completely revamped during their $1 billion offseason, but the front office still kept an old favorite around. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw returned to the team for his 17th season in baseball, giving the fans at least one more year to watch him perform.
Kershaw had offseason surgery to repair a shoulder injury that he suffered last year and he is expected to be out for a significant portion of the baseball season. The best-case scenario for Kershaw would be to return around July, which would give the Los Angeles starting rotation a big boost.
Kershaw recently gave the next step in his timeline to return. He told the media, including Jack Harris of The LA Times, that he has been ramping his the intensity of his throwing program and hopes to be throwing off the mound in May.
If Kershaw can start to throw off the mound in May, it would be a good sign of his potential return. The veteran left-hander had a good 2023 season, despite missing some time due to injury.
The last time that fans saw Kershaw take the mound was in the postseason when he was rocked by the Arizona Diamondbacks for six runs within the first inning of game one. He was pitching through injury, which affected his overall performance.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said that Kershaw is “ahead of things” in terms of his recovery. Since he signed back on the dotted line, fans have been waiting to see Kershaw back on the mound.
He has meant so much to the Dodgers organization, so his return was a welcomed sign. The hope is that he can return strong in the second half of the year to provide the squad with an extra starter, as the team goes for another World Series title.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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