While the Los Angeles Dodgers will spend the spring sorting through options to complete their starting rotation, there’s no guesswork involving Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda. Kershaw did miss more than two months last season, but reported to Spring Training in good health.
Kershaw was among several Dodgers to throw a bullpen session on the day pitchers and catchers were due at Camelback Ranch, and he followed that a few days later with a live batting practice session. That put the left-handed ace on track to start Saturday against the Chicago White Sox in the Cactus League opener.
According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, that will be the case, and Kershaw will be followed by Alex Wood, among others:
Clayton Kershaw will start Saturday's exhibition opener. Also scheduled to pitch: Alex Wood, Josh Ravin, Jacob Rhame, Madison Younginer.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) February 22, 2017
Los Angeles will hand the ball to Hill on Sunday and Kenta Maeda on Monday, and at that point presumably select from Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brock Stewart, Ross Stripling and Julio Urias in no particular order for the ensuing games.
Kershaw historically has not pitched well during Spring Training games, the results of which largely don’t carry any weight once the regular season begins. However, he broke from that trend last year by going 2-0 with 1.96 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 23 innings over six Cactus League starts.
Kershaw, and others making their first start of the spring, are expected complete one inning or the equivalent of that in pitches thrown. Pitchers traditionally would throw two innings in their spring debut, but the 2017 World Baseball Classic allows for more time to build up.
Saturday’s game will be televised by SportsNet LA and broadcast on AM 570 LA Sports Radio. First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m. PT.
