Clayton Kershaw was having one of the best starts to a season in his career, but that was put on hold when the Los Angeles Dodgers placed him on the 15-day injured list due to right SI joint inflammation.
Kershaw’s injury has to do with the area of his pelvis and hip, that according to the Mayo Clinic, can cause discomfort in the buttocks or lower back, and extend down one or both legs. The SI joint is often referred to sacroiliitis.
Kershaw declined to provide specifics of his injury and discomfort, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed the trouble was in his back. The left-hander received an epidural last Thursday before he began playing catch on Sunday.
The plan was for Kershaw to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, but that is now “unlikely” after the anesthetic did not provide the relief they had hoped for.
“With the epidural, just where he’s at right now, the relief of the pain isn’t there right now,” Dodgers manager Roberts said. “That was our hope initially, but now as we sit here, could it change? Certainly, but I still think it’s unlikely.
“I think we’re all disappointed about it, but we got to deal with where he’s at.”
Kershaw is continuing to play catch, which is an encouraging sign, and the Dodgers were optimistic he would be able to return to the mound quickly because there was nothing structurally wrong.
But with Kershaw’s history of back troubles, the team will remain cautious and make sure he is fully ready to resume high-effort throwing before he throws a bullpen session.
Kershaw dealt with various back injuries during the 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 seasons. Last year he twice suffered from left forearm/elbow inflammation, with the second bout preventing him from pitching in the postseason.
Through five starts this season, the future Hall of Famer posted a 1.80 ERA, 2.23 FIP, 29.4% strikeout rate and a 2.8% walk rate in 30 innings pitched.
Tony Gonsolin learning from Clayton Kershaw
Tony Gonsolin turned in one of his best start of the season on Monday as he pitched six innings while allowing just two runs on three hits, striking out seven and walking two.
Gonsolin has averaged 4.2 innings per start this season, so pitching deeper into games has been a focus for him. He was able to find success by looking to get outs quickly into an at-bat rather than always looking for a strikeout, and he relied on some help from future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw to find a way to achieve his goal.
“I’ve just been trying to get some early contact,” Gonsolin said. “Talked with Kersh a lot about how to go deeper into games, what works and what doesn’t work, and trying to figure out a way that works for me.”
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