While the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to have another month of baseball ahead, Clayton Kershaw is on the verge of completing his 18th regular season with the franchise.
He’s largely avoided questions about potentially retiring after the 2025 season, but that possibility is bubbling under the surface. It was on the periphery Saturday night as Kershaw took the mound at Oracle Park for his 63rd career game (60th start) against the San Francisco Giants.
The outing also represented Kershaw’s 31st time (29th start) pitching at AT&T/Oracle Park. But as for the potential of that being his final time pitching in the Giants’ home ballpark, Kershaw told David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports it wasn’t on his mind due to the Dodgers’ current position in the standings:
Clayton Kershaw told me this morning since #Dodgers are in a fight to win the NL West he couldn't really think about last night possibly being his last start at Oracle Park.
"I don't think about this could be my last one, just try to enjoy it when I do pitch here."
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 14, 2025
It wound up being a night to forget for Kershaw as he allowed four runs in the first inning after the Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead. Kershaw completed just three innings and exited with the Dodgers trailing 4-3.
The start was Kershaw’s shortest since he pitched two innings against the New York Mets on May 23, which was interrupted by a lengthy rain delay that forced the Dodgers to make a change.
The outing was atypical for Kershaw at Oracle Park, where he holds a lifetime 1.84 ERA across 200.1 innings pitched. He memorably pitched a complete-game shutout there to help the Dodgers clinch the National League West title in 2015.
Clayton Kershaw’s contract
After declining a player option for 2025 and undergoing surgeries on his foot and knee last year, Kershaw re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year contract with a base $7.5 million salary and performance bonuses included.
Kershaw has remained healthy since coming off the injured list to make his season debut and is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA over 20 starts.
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