For the first time since 2010, Clayton Kershaw will not be taking the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day. While the Arizona Diamondbacks named Zack Greinke their starter, the Dodgers have not identified who they will hand the ball to on March 28.
Kershaw has been dealing with shoulder inflammation since the early days of Spring Training, and while he is now feeling healthy, there just isn’t enough time to get him built up and ready to pitch in a Major League game in one week.
Kershaw pitched to hitters on Wednesday for the first time since being shut down. Though, the batters only tracked pitches during the one inning of work.
By not starting Opening Day, the 31-year-old is seeing his franchise-record streak of eight consecutive years doing so snapped. Kershaw is sad to see it come to an end but he is also mindful of the bigger picture, via David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio:
Clayton Kershaw talked about his streak of 8 consecutive Opening Day starts ending: "Disappointed being out there on Opening Day is special and I don't take that for granted. What it signifies and being part of Dodger history, all that stuff isn't lost on me." #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) March 20, 2019
Kershaw added that not forcing to pitch on Opening Day is the right decision: "When you get super realistic about it, it is just one game so that's what I keep trying to tell myself. It's going to be sad on Opening Day watching somebody else go, but I'll get over it."
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) March 20, 2019
Kershaw is going to begin the season on the 10-day injured list so he can continue to get built up and prepared for the long season ahead. First will come another live BP session early next week, when Kershaw is expected to go two innings.
While the Dodgers have yet to name who will be starting in Kershaw’s place on Opening Day, Walker Buehler also was ruled out, leaving Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu as the prime candidates.
