Clayton Kershaw made his long anticipated return to the Los Angeles Dodgers last month after recovering from offseason left shoulder surgery.
The left-hander experienced mixed results in his first two starts off the 60-day injured list, but has since bounced back with three strong outings.
Kershaw has not been striking out many batters but is still finding ways to keep the other team off the scoreboard. He has been doing this by using a six-pitch mix that includes a changeup.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been impressed with Kershaw’s ability to reinvent himself and called on the team’s younger pitchers to follow his example, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I think it’s a message to everyone as far as you’re not always going to be feeling your best, and you’ve still got to find a way to perform and help the ballclub win. Certainly for the young guys, that with the stuff he’s going out there (with), it’s not 95 or 97 (mph), but with the command, the grit to throw strikes, to get ahead of hitters, you can go out there and still pitch deep into a game. I think that’s something all of our guys need to take note of.”
With Kershaw’s average fastball velocity declining in recent years, he has shown a willingness to add new pitches to his arsenal as a way to keep hitters off balance.
The future Hall of Famer has been effective for the Dodgers, but more importantly, is not experiencing any setbacks with his health.
Clayton Kershaw’s 2024 stats
In five starts this season, Kershaw is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in each outing.
The left-hander has been particularly effective in August, pitching to a 1.10 ERA against the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.
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