Clayton Kershaw was the elder statesman among the five representatives the Los Angeles Dodgers sent to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.
Accompanied by Cody Bellinger (second All-Star selection), Walker Buehler (first), Max Muncy (first) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (first), Kershaw had both more experience and is older than his Dodgers teammates who also made the trip to Progressive Field in Cleveland.
That was a theme as a whole, as all nine players in the National League lineup were under 30 years old. The NL lineup made All-Star Game history by being the youngest in terms of average age.
That seemingly was an extension of the noticeable shift over recent seasons to a more youthful sport. While the 31-year-old is not part of that new wave, Kershaw enjoyed being part of such a young group at the All-Star Game, via Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
“I don’t feel like I’ve changed, but you can tell the demographic in this room is younger,” Kershaw said, hours before making his eighth All-Star game appearance. “I think that’s great and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
“It came quick, but I don’t feel old and I don’t think guys look at me as old,” Kershaw said. “So I’m good with that.”
Kershaw reached a noteworthy benchmark of sorts when he turned 30 years old in 2018. At the time, he said there was not a sense of feeling ‘old’ or no longer being able to succeed at a high rate on the mound.
There nonetheless has been a change in Kershaw — both due to natural regression with advancing in age — but also because of recurring injuries. He’s spent time on the disabled list due to back and biceps trouble, and this year dealt with shoulder inflammation.
With a fastball that now is in the low-90s, Kershaw has become more reliant on location, execution and his off-speed pitches. The retooled left-hander went 7-2 with a 3.09 ERA, 3.59 FIP and 1.05 WHIP in 15 starts during the unofficial first half of the season.
The Dodgers won each of his first nine outings before suffering a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants in early June.
