The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured 80 wins this season, more than any team in Major League Baseball, despite significant absences, including that of Clayton Kershaw for much of 2024.
Unfortunately, it looks like the Dodgers may continue postseason play without Kershaw as well. He exited Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after just three outs due to pain in his left big toe.
For now, it seems his left elbow and surgically repaired shoulder are fine, so they might have avoided a major setback.
Clayton Kershaw left the game with left big toe pain.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 31, 2024
Kershaw struggled before his departure, allowing two runs in the first inning while facing just six batters and throwing 25 pitches.
In the second inning, Dodger’s lead of 5-2 was challenged when Corbin Carroll led off with a home run on a 67-mph curveball that traveled 427 feet to the bleachers — only the fourth time a left-handed hitter has homered off one of Kershaw’s curveballs.
Carroll had previously achieved this milestone last October during the NL Division Series against the Dodgers, joining Charlie Blackmon and Matt Adams in this exclusive club.
Dodgers’ head athletic trainer Thomas Albert tended to Kershaw, but soon he was headed to the dugout, ending his night prematurely.
Before Friday, Kershaw’s record was 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA over six starts, having struck out 24 batters in 29 innings. He spent the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery.
As a three-time Cy Young Award winner and the last pitcher to earn an MVP award in 2014, Kershaw’s legacy is undeniable. With a career record of 212-94 and a 2.49 ERA over 17 seasons with the Dodgers, he’s been a cornerstone of the team.
Read more: The Dodgers Face a New Clayton Kershaw Dilemma
Although the Dodgers weren’t relying on Kershaw returning to peak performance, his experience made him a key player, especially with the current state of their pitching rotation.
Outside of trade-deadline addition Jack Flaherty (3-1, 3.49 ERA) and rookie Gavin Stone (11-5, 3.33), the Dodgers’ rotation has lacked reliability.
Walker Buehler (1-4, 5.88 ERA) and Bobby Miller (2-3, 7.25 ERA) have faced injuries and poor performance. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is out due to a rotator cuff issue, and Opening Day starter Tyler Glasnow is working his way back from elbow discomfort.
With October approaching, the Dodgers’ pitching situation remains uncertain, and Kershaw’s injury, though minor, adds to the questions regarding their potential to build a World Series-ready rotation.