The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a four-game series sweep of the San Francisco Giants, along with their eighth consecutive win against their longtime rival, but now have some concern due to another Clayton Kershaw back injury.
Kershaw was removed while warming up for the bottom of the fifth inning, and the initial diagnosis from the Dodgers was he exited with lower back pain.
The Giants’ broadcast showed Kershaw appearing to tell Dodgers head athletic trainer Thomas Albert, “It’s my back,” before walking off the field. SportsNet LA captured Kershaw quickly grabbing at his lower back while walking through the dugout.
After the game, Kershaw said he wasn’t dealing with the pain throughout the game and it was something that just suddenly appeared while warming up for the inning, via SportsNet LA:
“No. I just felt something kind of lock up there in the fifth and couldn’t really throw after that. It’s something in my back again. … We’ll see more [Friday]. Just more back stuff. … We’ll see how I wake up in the morning. That’s the first thing and we’ll go from there.”
Kershaw spent one month on the 10-day injured list this season due to right SI joint inflammation that caused discomfort in his back. However, he won’t be sure how similar the injury is until he undergoes additional testing on Friday:
“I don’t know. We’ll figure more stuff out [Friday]. Hopefully, I don’t wake up too bad.”
Kershaw previously dealt with back injuries during the 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 seasons. Last year he twice suffered from left forearm/elbow inflammation, with the second instance ending his year and preventing him from pitching in the postseason.
Prior to leaving his start in the series finale at Oracle Park, Kershaw allowed two runs over four innings. They were scored on a J.D. Davis’ homer that came off a rare Kershaw changeup. Only one of the runs was earned, however, as the leadoff man reached because of Max Muncy’s fielding error.
Will Kershaw go on injured list?
Short of Kershaw only experiencing a back spasm or cramp in his start, it’s likely the Dodgers will place him on the IL at some point this weekend. Doing so presumably will create an opportunity for Ryan Pepiot.
Mitch White had been filling a swingman role for the Dodgers, but along with Alex De Jesus, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Minor League pitchers Nick Frasso and Moises Brito.
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