When Clayton Kershaw was placed on the disabled list after starting in the Opening Series, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said there could be some benefit from it as Kershaw’s workload by season’s end would be lower than usual.
Of course, the natural competitor in Kershaw didn’t necessarily allow him to subscribe to such a theory. All the left-hander did was proceed to finish the season 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, winning a third Cy Young Award and adding a National League MVP to his mantle.
Kershaw has remained healthy this season, already making four more starts than the 27 he did in 2014 and surpassing last year’s 198.1 innings pitched with 220 innings this season. Kershaw’s last outing was unusually short for his standards as he was lifted after just 80 pitches over five innings.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the decision was tied to his club being down, 3-0, and needing to score. While Mattingly didn’t state it publicly, there was also the added benefit of keeping innings off Kershaw’s odometer with October baseball right around the corner.
That idea however, isn’t one Kershaw is completely sold on, particularly this late in the season, according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register:
That’s a very hard question,” Kershaw said when asked if he thought there was value in that. “There might be certain situations, certain times in the year where you can save an inning here or there – but not at this time of year.”
Kershaw also said simply looking at total innings pitched doesn’t necessarily paint a clear picture:
That’s also a tough question,” Kershaw said. “If you just look at the number and say, ‘Is 230 that much different than 235?’ then, no, probably not. But you have to dissect the innings and situations. And everybody’s different.
Kershaw set a career high with 236 innings in 2013, which is a total he’s unlikely to match this season. He’s currently scheduled for two more regular-season starts — Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, and on Sunday when the Dodgers host the San Diego Padres on the final day of the regular season.
The Oct. 4 start is expected to be an abridged one, unless of course the Dodgers are still fighting for a postseason berth.
