Clayton Kershaw did not debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 until July 25 due to a long recovery from offseason left shoulder surgery.
He wound up making seven starts for the team before being placed on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 31 because of left big toe inflammation caused by a bone spur. The left-hander did not pitch again after that point.
Kershaw is now a free agent for the fourth consecutive offseason and has stated that he plans to return to the Dodgers next year. However, there have not been many updates on his status so far.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are still expecting to re-sign Kershaw this offseason:
The Dodgers are still expecting Clayton Kershaw back.
If Kershaw returns as expected, he will be part of a Dodgers rotation that is set to include Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, among others. He is presumably waiting until Spring Training when the Dodgers can then place him on the 60-day injured list, thus keeping open a 40-man roster spot for other players.
Kershaw went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA, 3.53 FIP and 1.50 WHIP in 30 innings pitched this year. It was the first time since his rookie season in 2008 that he posted an ERA above 4.00.
Kershaw underwent surgery to address the bone spur in his toe, along with arthritis and a ruptured plantar in his left foot. He is also scheduled to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Kershaw has not shared a timeline for his return but presumably won’t be ready for Opening Day of the 2025 season.
Gavin Lux wants to remain teammates with Clayton Kershaw
Gavin Lux just completed his fifth season in the Majors and has been teammates with Kershaw each year.
The 27-year-old recently said that he hopes the future Hall of Famer continues his career with the Dodgers so they can continue sharing the field.
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