When the Los Angeles Dodgers lost Clayton Kershaw to the disabled list last season — officially July 1, 2016 — they were a modest 44-37. That marked the start of a 10-week stretch where the Dodgers were without their left-handed ace.
The Dodgers face a similar prospect this season, as Kershaw was placed on the disabled list Monday due to lower back tightness. A timetable has not been revealed, though it was reported he’ll miss an estimated four to six weeks.
Los Angeles ultimately went 35-23 during the two-and-a-half months Kershaw remained shelved by a mild herniated disc.
Given that success and the personality of the team, Justin Turner expects the Dodgers to once more press ahead without the three-time Cy Young Award winner, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“Knowing the way we responded and the way we played in his absence makes it a little bit easier pill to swallow, I guess, but you don’t want him not taking the ball every fifth day,” said Justin Turner. “But we’ve talked about the depth the front office has created and how guys step up. That’s what we expect to do.”
While losing Kershaw for any period of time is not an ideal scenario, circumstances this year could certainly be worse. The Dodgers enter play Wednesday with the best record in the Majors at 70-31 and holding an 12.5-game lead over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies in the National League West standings.
That being said, the Dodgers’ starting rotation has multiple question marks. Brandon McCarthy was also put on the disabled list Monday and Hyun-Jin Ryu just returned from taking a line drive off his left foot.
Brock Stewart is making a spot start Wednesday, which gives Alex Wood additional rest before next taking the mound. There’s the possibility of a trade, as Los Angeles has been connected to the likes of Yu Darvish.
