Clayton Kershaw injury update: Dodgers pitcher set for season debut Saturday vs. Angels
The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting their longest-tenured player back this weekend. Lefty Clayton Kershaw will be activated off the injured list and start Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium, the team announced Tuesday. That is the first day Kershaw is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list.
Kershaw, 37, had knee and toe surgeries soon after the Dodgers won the World Series last fall, and has not yet pitched this season. He has made five minor-league rehab starts, including allowing two runs in four innings in a Triple-A game on Sunday. All told, Kershaw surrendered six runs in 21 innings in his five rehab games. He struck out 16 and walked five.
For what it’s worth, Kershaw’s fastball has sat in the upper-80s during his rehab games. Statcast says his heater averaged 87.7 mph and topped out at 89.1 mph Sunday. That’s down from an 89.9 mph average fastball in seven big-league starts last year. Adrenaline will surely kick in during Kershaw’s 2025 debut, though his margin of error is quite small at that velocity.
Including Kershaw, the Dodgers currently have eight starting pitchers on the major league injured list. Here is their rotation depth chart at the moment:
RHP Shohei Ohtani(rehabbing from elbow surgery)- RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
LHP Blake Snell(out with shoulder inflammation)RHP Tyler Glasnow(out with shoulder inflammation)LHP Clayton Kershaw(will make season debut Saturday)- RHP Roki Sasaki
- RHP Dustin May
- RHP Tony Gonsolin
RHP Gavin Stone(will miss 2025 with shoulder surgery)- RHP Landon Knack
- RHP Bobby Miller
- LHP Justin Wrobleski
RHP River Ryan(will miss 2025 with Tommy John surgery)RHP Emmet Sheehan(will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)RHP Kyle Hurt(will miss most of 2025 with Tommy John surgery)
Glasnow resumed throwing last week and could throw a bullpen this homestand, Roberts said Tuesday. Snell is scheduled to meet with his doctor Tuesday and the Dodgers are bringing Ohtani along very slowly. He continues to throw off a mound but there is no firm timetable for him to begin facing hitters and pitching in any kind of game setting.
Despite a payroll that is pushing $400 million, the Dodgers have used 11 different starting pitchers in 41 games. No team has used more. That is at least in part by design. The Dodgers use the regular season almost as a dress rehearsal. Their priority is being in the best position heading into October, so all their pitching decisions are made with the big picture in mind.
Kershaw made only seven starts around shoulder trouble last season. The three-time Cy Young winner is sitting on 2,968 career strikeouts, putting him on the verge of becoming the 20th pitcher in the 3,000 strikeout club, and only the fourth lefty along with Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, and CC Sabathia.
The Dodgers enter play Tuesday with baseball’s best record at 27-14.
