Clayton Kershaw removed himself from a dominant start against the Colorado Rockies last week due to an injury that has since been revealed to be left shoulder inflammation.
The longtime Los Angeles Dodgers ace treated the ailment with a cortisone injection and expressed confidence it would yield good results. Kershaw based that belief on the remedy being successful when he dealt with similar trouble in the past.
Kershaw tested his shoulder over the weekend in Kansas City and was said to have an encouraging second throwing session. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts nevertheless said a decision on whether Kershaw will make his next start or be placed on the 15-day injured list hasn’t been finalized, via SportsNet LA:
“Today, I will say that there was progress. What that means for his start tomorrow, I just don’t want to say right now. There’s some things we have to think through if he starts, if we give him a couple extra days to kind of kick the can. So right now, for me, watching him throw the baseball, he hasn’t thrown a ‘pen, didn’t spin the baseball, but there was progress. He felt better, so that’s encouraging.”
Kershaw is currently lined up to start Monday in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and again on July 8 against the Los Angeles Angels in the Dodgers’ final game before the All-Star break.
However, the left-hander taking his next turn in the rotation seems unlikely considering that he hasn’t yet thrown off a mound since the shoulder injury.
A potential best-case scenario for Kershaw would be getting pushed back and making only one more start in the unofficial first half of the season. The 35-year-old going on the IL for a brief period is also plausible, and in that event Michael Grove would get recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Clayton Kershaw earns 10th All-Star Game selection
Kershaw’s second throwing session took place hours before he was named among the National League pitchers selected to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
It gave Kershaw a 10th career All-Star selection, tying with Pee Wee Reese for a Dodgers franchise record.
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