The Dodgers are scheduled to start Sport 1 of the NLDS in opposition to the Padres on Saturday night, and among the many pitchers notably absent from their roster for the sequence is veteran southpaw Clayton Kershaw. That’s not a shock provided that he was beforehand stated to be concentrating on a return someday in mid-October, however supervisor Dave Roberts informed reporters that the Dodgers will really be with out Kershaw for the complete postseason, through Invoice Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Plunkett provides that, in accordance with Roberts, the bone spurs in Kershaw’s huge toe haven’t improved since he went on the IL again in August, including that issues may very well have worsened since then.
The information formally brings to an finish an injury-plagued season for Kershaw, who leaves the 2024 marketing campaign behind with a 4.50 ERA (87 ERA+) and three.87 FIP in 30 innings of labor throughout seven begins whereas placing out simply 18% of opponents. That’s by far the bottom strikeout charge of his profession and the primary time his ERA+ has been under common since his rookie marketing campaign again in 2008, when his 98 ERA+ got here in only a hair under common. Whereas low stroll and residential run charges assist to salvage a few of Kershaw’s peripheral numbers, 2024 will nonetheless go down because the worst season of the veteran’s profession so far, however given the small pattern its tough to attract conclusion about his potential when wholesome sufficient to take the mound.
Kershaw holds a $10M participant choice for the 2025 season, however after sometimes considering retirement over the previous few offseasons it’s not but clear whether or not or not he’ll train that choice or wait to resolve on his future till later within the winter. Ought to he resolve to proceed his profession into 2025, the long run Corridor of Famer will certainly be welcomed again by the one staff he’s ever identified throughout an offseason the place the membership is bound to pursue rotation additions with solely Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Gavin Stone locked into the 2025 beginning rotation alongside Shohei Ohtani, whose return to the mound will possible necessitate transferring to a six-man workers.
Within the meantime, nonetheless, the Dodgers might want to piece collectively manufacturing from a rotation that gives little certainty exterior of Yamamoto and deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty all through the postseason. A struggling Walker Buehler (5.38 ERA in 16 begins) and rookie Landon Knack (3.65 ERA in 69 frames this yr) stand because the membership’s most probably beginning choices to fill out the rotation behind Yamamoto and Flaherty, who’re set to begin Video games 1 and a pair of, respectively.
Other than Kershaw, right-hander Joe Kelly was additionally left off the membership’s NLDS roster. It was a tough yr for Kelly, who allowed a 4.78 ERA throughout 35 reduction appearances whereas battling accidents. That features a shoulder problem that bothered him all through the ultimate weeks of the season, and Roberts informed reporters that the veteran right-hander received’t be accessible till not less than the World Sequence after tweaking his shoulder throughout a simulated recreation this week, through Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. With out Kelly within the fold, the Dodgers determine to rookie Edgardo Henriquez to fill out their bullpen for the NLDS.
